Arie and Chuko Esiri were born 30 minutes apart in Warri, Nigeria. Growing up in Lagos their mother would put a padlock on the TV in a misguided attempt to make them more studious. Twenty years later both would enrol at film school. Arie graduated from Columbia University, and Chuko completed his studies at NYU. During their time in New York they collaborated on a pair of short films: Besida (2018), which premiered at the 68th Berlinale, and Goose (2017), which had its premiere at the LA Film Festival. This Is My Desire is their first feature film.