Zoe Dirse csc is a graduate of the University of Toronto with degrees in Psychology and Education. She started her career in cinematography by joining the camera union IATSE 644 in Toronto in 1979. In 1982 she joined the camera department at the National Film Board of Canada in Montreal, Quebec and worked there until 1997 shooting over 70 documentaries, many for Studio D and dramas. Since 1997 she has been freelancing as a cinematographer, director and professor based in Toronto.

She taught cinematography and documentary filmmaking at Sheridan College, Trafalgar Campus, Oakville, Ontario, Canada where she shot and co-directed two short documentaries, So Much More and She Never Gave Up in 2016.

In 2019 Zoe Dirse received the WIFT (Women in Film and Television ) award for mentorship and the Canadian Documentary Organization  Luminary award.

Zoe Dirse is a full member of the CSC, the Canadian Society of Cinematographers and is a Director of Photography with the Quebec based union, AQTIS and a member of the DOC organization (doc.org) of Canada.