He studied at the Institute of Dramatic Arts and Cultural Activity (ISADAC) of Rabat, and in 1995 moved to Paris where he trained as an actor at the National Conservatory of Dramatic Arts. He directed ‘La Falaise’, his first short film, in 1997, for which he received 23 awards. In 2000, he directed two short films: ‘Le Mur’, which won an award at the Festival de Cannes, and ‘Trajets’, which won a prize at the Venice Film Festival. In 2003, his first feature ‘Mille Mois’ won two awards at Cannes. In 2013, he directed ‘Death for Sale’, which won an award at the Berlin International Film Festival. Throughout his career, Bensaïdi has also worked as an author and actor with great directors including Nabil Ayouch, André Techiné and Nadir Mocknech. All of his films have received critical acclaim and have been distributed around the world.