Biography
Walid Tayaa was born in Tunisia in 1976. After studying sociology, Walid turned to cinema. He directed short films as part of the amateur cinema movement and participated in independent international festivals. He also worked as first assistant director in many productions. In 2006 his first short film ‘Bahja’ was shown at the Cannes Festival. He participated in numerous training workshops and seminars in Tunisia, Morocco, Togo, Syria, the Czech Republic, Germany and finally France. Here he pursued continued education at La Fémis in 2007.
In 2008 he directed the short film ‘Haylaman’, which was shown at the Berlin Film Festival in 2010. In the same year he directed the film ‘Life’ that won the main prize at the Tetouan International Mediterranean Film Festival in Morocco, the Andalusian Television Award at the African Film Festival in Tarifa, Spain, and the Golden Tanit at the national competition during the Carthage Cinema Days. He also directed a documentary on Issawiya Sufism in Tunisia.
Currently, he is working on two new short films, ‘The Age of Marriage’ and ‘Wrinkles’, as well as preparing his first long feature film.
In 2008 he directed the short film ‘Haylaman’, which was shown at the Berlin Film Festival in 2010. In the same year he directed the film ‘Life’ that won the main prize at the Tetouan International Mediterranean Film Festival in Morocco, the Andalusian Television Award at the African Film Festival in Tarifa, Spain, and the Golden Tanit at the national competition during the Carthage Cinema Days. He also directed a documentary on Issawiya Sufism in Tunisia.
Currently, he is working on two new short films, ‘The Age of Marriage’ and ‘Wrinkles’, as well as preparing his first long feature film.
