Born in the city of Sfax, Tunisia in the year 1945, a young man named Bouzid embarked on a journey to pursue his passion for filmmaking, commencing his studies in 1968 at the prestigious Institut National des Arts du Spectacle et Techniques de Diffusion (INSAS) in Brussels, Belgium.
After completing his studies in 1972, Bouzid returned to his homeland, Tunisia, where he began working in television from 1972 to 1973. However, his involvement with the radical Groupe d'Etude et d'Action Socialiste Tunisian (GEAST) led to his arrest and imprisonment for a period of over five years, from 1973 to 1979.
Following his release from prison, Bouzid continued to work in the film industry, serving as an assistant director on several foreign productions shot in Tunisia, including the highly acclaimed films "Raiders of the Lost Ark" (1981) and "The Key to Rebecca" (1985). He also lent his expertise to many Tunisian features, as well as contributing to screenplay adaptations and dialogue for several notable Tunisian films in the 1990s, such as "Halfaouine: Boy of the Terraces" (1990) directed by Ferid Boughedir.
In 1986, Bouzid made his directorial debut with the film "Man of Ashes," which went on to win the top prize at the Carthage Film Festival. This groundbreaking film, along with his subsequent features, tackled sensitive issues that were previously absent from Arab cinema, solidifying Bouzid's position as a prominent figure in Maghreb cinema.
