Alumni Spotlight: Anne Goursaud '73

The Alumni Spotlight is a place to hear from the School of the Arts alumni community about their journeys as artists and creators.

Anne Goursaud '73 is an accomplished film director and editor. It was Francis Ford Coppola who first spotted Anne's talent, giving her the chance to edit One from the Heart. Since that time, she has directed and edited a wide range of projects, and she has worked with some of the most highly acclaimed professionals in the movie industry.
Her directing credits include the dark thrillers Embrace of the Vampire and Poison Ivy II, both for New Line Cinema, and the erotic drama Love in Paris (Another 9 1/2 Weeks) for Trimark. Her editing credits include Francis Ford Coppola's teen classic The Outsiders, starring Matt Dillon and Tom Cruise, the Oscar-winning hit Bram Stoker's Dracula, starring Gary Oldman and Anthony Hopkins, and Ironweed, starring Jack Nicholson and Meryl Streep, for which they both received Oscar nominations. Anne also edited edited Universal Pictures' innovative Outkast movie-musical Idlewild and the edgy new independent feature Expired, among others which premiered at Cannes. Anne was writer-producer on the feature-length documentary Ultrasuede: In Search For Halston, which was released in theaters in February 2012 and was bought by Showtime. Anne received a License en Histoire de L’Art from the Sorbonne and a Masters in Fine Arts from Columbia University. She is a member of the Directors Guild of America, the Editors Guild, A.C.E, the Academy of Arts and Sciences and SACD.



Was there a specific faculty member or peer who especially inspired you while at the School of the Arts? If so, who and how?

Mr. Thompson. I think that was his name.  I was so ignorant of all things technical (degree in art history) I learned everything from him; how to record sound, shooting, mixing. He went into all the details like we already were true professionals. What he taught me still is the basis of my understanding. I am so very grateful to him.

Mr. Sarris, who made me discover classic French films I didn't know,  and appreciate the world cinema, particularly Japanese films. The thrill of my first Ozu, Mizoguchy, Kurosawa. He shaped my understanding of directing and forever, influenced my taste. What a luxury it was to sit in his class and watch one masterpiece after another and have him illuminate the work with his knowledge!

How did attending the School of the Arts impact your work and career as an artist?

It’s where I discovered a talent for editing. The rest is history.

What was your favorite or most memorable class while at the School of the Arts?

I had an accent, and was learning the technical terms in English, words I didn't know in my own language, French. I remember trying to pronounce the word hiss, like hiss on the tape and how the entire class cracked up.