Nour-Eddine Lakhmari was born in Morocco and moved to Oslo to study film. After making his first short films, he joined the Oslo Film Academy. His first feature-length film, Le Regard, was released in 2005 and won several awards. In 2006, he returned to Morocco and directed the crime series El Kadia. Casanegra, his second feature, won numerous international awards and was chosen to represent Morocco at the Academy Awards. It remained at the top of the Moroccan box office for several months. Since then, Lakhmari has made acclaimed feature films including Zero and Burnout, establishing himself as one of the leading directors in contemporary Moroccan cinema.