Nouri Bouzid

Born in Sfax, Tunisia in 1945 Bouzid began filmmaking studies in 1968 at Institut National des Arts du Spectacle et Techniques de Diffusion (INSAS) in Brussels. He graduated in 1972 with a short film, _Duel (1972)_. Returning to Tunisia he worked, from 1972 to 1973 in Tunisian television but was then arrested and jailed for over five years (1973-79) for his involvement with the radical Groupe d'Etude et d'Action Socialiste Tunisian (GEAST). After his release he worked as an assistant director on several foreign films shooting in Tunisia, including Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) and The Key to Rebecca (1985). He also assisted on many Tunisian features as well as working on screenplay adoptions and dialogue for several important Tunisian films in the 90s such as _Halfawin 'Usfur Stah (1990)_ by 'Ferid Boughedir'. He made his directorial debut in 1986 with Man of Ashes (1986), which won the top prize at the carthage film festival. This film along with his subsequent features, tackled sensitive issues usually absent from Arab films and established Bouzid as a significant figure in Maghreb cinema.