Born in Rabat, Morocco, Meryem Benm'Barek grew up between Morocco, France, and Belgium. She began her career in 2010 in the Directing program at INSAS in Brussels, where she directed several short films, including JENNAH, which was selected by multiple international festivals and shortlisted for the 2015 Oscars. 

In 2018, her debut feature film, SOFIA, won the Best Screenplay Award in the Un Certain Regard section at the Cannes Film Festival, followed by several international accolades.