Moufida Tlatli was born in Sidi Bou Said, a suburb of the capital Tunis, on 4 August 1947.
[11] She moved to Paris in 1965, where she studied film editing and screenplay at the Institut des hautes études cinématographiques.
[16] Her third and final film, Nadia and Sarra (2004), featured Palestinian actor–director Hiam Abbass in the title role.
[13] Tlatli was appointed as Minister of Culture by Tunisia's provisional government in 2011, following the Tunisian Revolution and the ousting of president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali.
[13] She was survived by her husband, Mohamed Tlatli, her daughter Selima Chaffai and son, Walid, and five grandchildren.