Directors Jean (aka Mambembe) and Zinaid (aka Rasquache) Meeran of Team Tarbaby are twin brothers, born in the 70's in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa. They had the rare experience of being born in a white hospital: there was no official hospital in the town for mothers classified as coloured. Jean and Zinaid grew up as reverse exile babies while their mother was exiled politically to Botswana and England. They grew up on the Natal North Coast, eating sugar cane and getting soaked and zapped by thunderstorms.

Jean obtained a Masters in Film Theory and practice from UCT and New York University and completed the film development programme at the Binger institute in Amsterdam.

Zinaid spent years fighting off opossums and coyotes while studying towards a Masters in Fine Art in Film and a Masters in Critical Studies from the University of Los Angeles, California.

Jean and Zinaid currently live and work in Cape Town, writing feature movies and novels (The Djinn, Gazelle9110, novels (Saracen at the Gates, Dirtbaby), making short films (The Brown Europe Pageant, Sexy Mother Fucker), taking pictures (Workers at Rest, Foodie, Stylish South Africa), making documentaries (Tonton in America, LA Tarbaby, Aftermath, Worlds).