Born in Pisa in 1946, he graduated from the Florence Art Institute in 1965 as a painter, but by 1968 turned to filmmaking. His film Medea, the Theatre of May in Buti won him a place in the selection of Berlin Festival in 1973. After working as assistant director to Roberto Rossellini, Jean-Marie Straub and Danièle Huillet, he founded the cineclub “Arsenale” in Pisa. In 1988, his first feature Jude's Kiss was presented at the Venice Festival. He competed in Locarno with his feature films Confortorio in 1992 and Tiburzi in 1994, followed by Gostanza da Libbiano, winner of the Special Jury Prize in 2000. His 2003 film Secret Files was in competition at the Toronto and Venice International Festivals.

Born in Verona in 1961, she studied drama from 1988 to 1990 at the Scuola Regionale di Attività Attoriali under the direction of Ezio Maria Caserta. Her debut in1989 at the Teatro Olimpico of Vicenza was followed by a stage career ranging from plays and monologues to poetry recitals. She began her collaboration with Paolo Benvenuti in 1998 as assistant director and acting coach for Gostanza da Libbiano. She co-wrote the story and screenplay for Secret Files. Baroni moved to Pisa in 2003 and started a seminar for children, “Facciamo un film”. The experience led to the production of the short film L'incubo di un maestro, entirely written, filmed, performed, directed, and edited by these children. In 2006, Paola Baroni made her stage directing debut with the play Pietro Calamandrei: in difesa di Danilo Dolci which she wrote based on the pleadings of the great jurist at the 1956 trial of the famous sociologist. Puccini and the Girl represents Baroni and Benvenuti’s most extensive collaboration to date.