Anspach was an acclaimed writer and director, whose first feature film, Haut les Coeurs! earned her the Best Director prize at the Ghent International Film Festival in 1999, while leading lady Karin Viard picked up France's Cesar Award for Best Actress.

She went on to direct a number of critically-acclaimed films and TV movies, and was honoured at the Cannes Film Festival in 2001 for death-row documentary Made in the USA and again in 2003 for the drama Stormy Weather.

Anspach's final credit, a film titled L'effet aquatique, has yet to be released.