Babek Aliassa was born in Iran. He studied architecture in Paris, then cinema at La Fémis. Soon after arriving in Canada in 1996, he settled in Toronto and became involved in its French-speaking artistic community for which he founded the Laboratoire d'art. After directing a short film and two documentaries, he moved to Montreal to make his first feature film, Halal Butcher Shop (2012). The theme of immigration is central to his work and greatly influenced by the many times Babek has moved in his life, from France to Iran and from English Canada to Belarus, before settling down in Quebec. He has served on the board of Diversité artistique Montréal (DAM) to promote more inclusive representation on stage and screen. Babek is also a producer.
