Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a display device and a method of driving the display device. The display device includes: a side-lighting backlight source, a display panel disposed at a light exit side of the side-lighting backlight source, and a light controlling component disposed between the display panel and the side-lighting backlight source; the side-lighting backlight source comprises a light guide plate and a plurality of light emitting devices disposed at a side of the light guide plate; the light guide plate includes a plurality of first regions and a brightness of a light emitting face of each of the first regions is controllable by at least one of the light emitting devices; the light controlling component includes a plurality of second regions configured such that one of the first regions covers at least one of the second regions; the brightness of the light emitting face of each of the first regions and a light transmittance of each of the second regions are controlled according to the contrast of the image to be displayed by a corresponding region of the liquid crystal display panel.