Leyla Bouzid

Leyla Bouzid (b. 1984, Tunis, Tunisia) left her homeland in 2003 to study in Paris – French literature at the Sorbonne and direction at the renowned La Fémis film school. Her first forays into film involved writing the scripts for six shorts, some of which she directed, including the award-winning titlesSoubresauts (Mkhobbi fi Kobba, 2012) and Zakaria(2013). Her freshman offering As I Open My Eyes takes up political issues, especially women’s emancipation in Arab society, while employing as a backdrop the volatile atmosphere in Tunisia on the eve of the 2010 Jasmine Revolution. The debut claimed attention at the festivals in Venice and Rotterdam.

Source: Karlovy Vary International Film Festival 2016