Meryem Benm’Barek was born in 1984 in Rabat. She studied Arabic Languages and Civilisations at the National Institute of Oriental Languages and Civilizations in Paris before entering the directing department at INSAS in Brussels in 2010. There, she directed five short films, notably NOR ( 2013 ) and JENNAH ( 2014 ), which was selected for numerous international film festivals, and was considered for submission for an Academy Award in 2015. She also creates sound design art and has had exhibitions at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. SOFIA, her first feature film, is notably a recipient of the Gan Fondation prize and a grant from the Doha Film institute.