Monique Fortier

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Monique Fortier
Born(1928-07-06)July 6, 1928
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
DiedAugust 18, 2025(2025-08-18) (aged 97)
Saint-Donat, Quebec, Canada
OccupationsFilm editor and director
Years active1950s–1999
Notable workThe Decline of the American Empire
AwardsGenie Award for Best Editing (1987)

Monique Fortier (July 6, 1928 – August 18, 2025) was a Canadian film editor.[1] She was most noted for her work on the film The Decline of the American Empire (Le Déclin de l'empire américain), for which she won the Genie Award for Best Editing at the 8th Genie Awards in 1987.[2]

Life and career

Fortier was born in Montreal on July 6, 1928.[3] She began her career with the National Film Board of Canada in the 1950s, becoming one of the first women to work for the organization. Although she worked principally as an editor, she was also director of the short documentary film The Hour of Independence (À l’heure de la décolonisation) in 1963, making her the first French Canadian woman to direct an NFB film.[4] She also subsequently directed La beauté mème in 1964, but devoted her career primarily to editing thereafter.[5]

Her other credits include the films September Five at Saint-Henri (À St-Henri le cinq septembre), The River Schooners (Les Voitures d'eau), Acadia, Acadia (L'Acadie, L'Acadie?!?), The Crime of Ovide Plouffe (Le Crime d'Ovide Plouffe), Au chic resto pop and The Big Snake of the World (Le Grand serpent du monde). She received a Genie Award nomination for Best Editing at the 6th Genie Awards in 1985, for her work on The Crime of Ovide Plouffe.[6] She received a second Genie Award nomination for Best Editing at the 8th Genie Awards two years later in 1987, for her work on The Decline of the American Empire, which she won this time.[2]

In 2014, she was the subject of Making Movie History: Monique Fortier, a short documentary film by Denys Desjardins.[7]

Fortier died in Saint-Donat, Lanaudière on August 18, 2025, at the age of 97.[8][9]

Filmography

Year Title Notes Reference
1961Courtship (Le Temps des amours)Editor[10]
1962Strangers for the Day (Pour quelques arpents de neige)Co-editor (with Jacques Godbout and Georges Dufaux)[11]
1962September Five at Saint-Henri (À St-Henri le cinq septembre)Editor[11]
1963The Hour of Independence (À l’heure de la décolonisation)Director and editor[12]
1964Villeneuve, peintre-barbierEditor[11]
1964La beauté mêmeWriter, director and editor[13]
1965Ville-Marie (Les Montréalistes)Editor[11]
1965StravinskyEditor[11]
1965Les Départs nécessairesEditor[11]
1967FLQEditor[11]
1968Les bombesEditor
1968The River Schooners (Les Voitures d'eau)Editor[11]
1968Swing la baquaiseEditor[11]
1969La guerre des pianosEditor[11]
1971Acadia, Acadia (L'Acadie, L'Acadie?!?)Editor[11]
1971César's Bark Canoe (César et son canot d'écorce)Editor[11]
1972Chez nous, c'est chez nousEditor[11]
1972Quebec: Duplessis and After (Québec : Duplessis et après...)Acknowledged as "with the help of [Monique Fortier]"
1973Les raquettes des AtcikamegEditor[14]
1974Les Filles du RoyParticipant[15]
1975Jean Carignan, Fiddler (Jean Carignan, violoneux)Editor[16]
1977Le goût de la farineEditor[11]
1977Damase Breton, cordonnierEditor[17]
1980Land Without Trees, or the Mouchouânipi (Le pays de la terre sans arbre ou Le mouchouânipi)Editor[11]
1981Fermont, P.Q.Editor[18]
1982Plenty of Nothing (Madame, vous avez rien)Editor[19]
1983Les voiles bas et en traversEditor[11]
1984The Last Glacier (Le dernier glacier)Editor[20]
1984The Crime of Ovide Plouffe (Le Crime d'Ovide Plouffe)Editor[21]
1985La grande allureTwo part documentary, editor for both parts[11]
1986The Decline of the American Empire (Le Déclin de l'empire américain)Editor[22]
1986Bam Pay A!: Rends-moi mon pays!Editor[11]
1988Alias Will JamesEditor[23]
1988Liberty Street BluesEditor[24]
1989The Studio (L'Atelier)Editor[25]
1990Au chic resto popEditor[11]
1990Pour l'amour du stressEditor[26]
1991The Norman William Affair (L'affaire Norman William)Editor[27]
1992PapaEditor[28]
1992The Black Sheep (Le Mouton noir)Editor[11]
1993Doctors with Heart (Médecins de coeur)Editor[11]
1993Expectations (L'Attente)Editor[29]
1997The Fate of America (Le sort de l'Amérique)Editor[30]
1997Tu as crié: Let Me GoCo-editor (with Yves Dion)[31]
1999The Big Snake of the World (Le Grand serpent du monde)Final credit as editor[6]
2011The Private Life of Cinema (La vie privée du cinéma)Self
2014Making Movie History: Monique FortierSelf[7]

Awards and nominations

Year Association Category Work Result Reference
1985Genie AwardsBest EditingThe Crime of Ovide Plouffe (Le Crime d'Ovide Plouffe)Nominated[6]
1987The Decline of the American Empire (Le Déclin de l'empire américain)Won[2]

References

  1. Tracy, Andrew (August 29, 2025). "Genie-winning editor, filmmaker Monique Fortier dies at 97". Playback. Retrieved August 29, 2025. (subscription required)
  2. Topalovich, Maria (2000). And the Genie Goes To...: Celebrating 50 Years of the Canadian Film Awards. Stoddart Publishing. ISBN 0-7737-3238-1.
  3. Morris, Peter (1984). The Film Companion. Irwin Publishing. ISBN 9780772515056, 0772515050. p. 117.
  4. Jean, Marcel; Loiselle, Marie-Claude (Summer 1995). "Entretien avec Monique Fortier" (PDF). 24 images (in French) (77): 16–18. 0707-9389 (print); 1923-5097 (web).
  5. Marshall, Bill (2001). Quebec National Cinema. McGill–Queen's University Press. ISBN 9780773521162. p. 214.
  6. Scott, Jay (February 15, 1985). "Bay Boy reels in 11 Genie nominations". The Globe and Mail.
  7. "Making Movie History: Monique Fortier". National Film Board of Canada. Retrieved August 29, 2025.
  8. "The National Film Board of Canada honours the legacy of editor and filmmaker Monique Fortier". National Film Board of Canada. Government of Canada. August 27, 2025. Retrieved August 29, 2025.
  9. "Monique Fortier". Mount Royal Commemorative Services (in French). August 18, 2025. Retrieved August 30, 2025.
  10. "Le Temps des amours". Office national du film du Canada (in French). Retrieved August 30, 2025.
  11. "Monique Fortier". film-documentaire.fr (in French). Retrieved August 29, 2025.
  12. "À l'heure de la décolonisation". National Film Board of Canada. Retrieved August 29, 2025.
  13. "La beauté même". National Film Board of Canada. Retrieved August 28, 2025.
  14. "Les raquettes des Atcikameg". Office national du film du Canada (in French). Retrieved August 29, 2025.
  15. "Les filles du Roy". National Film Board of Canada. Retrieved August 29, 2025.
  16. "Jean Carignan, violoneux". National Film Board of Canada (in English and French). Retrieved August 29, 2025.
  17. "Damase Breton, cordonnier". National Film Board of Canada (in English and French). Retrieved August 29, 2025.
  18. "Fermont P.Q. : film by Clément Perron and Monique Fortier". Library and Archives Canada. November 25, 2016. Retrieved August 29, 2025.
  19. "Plenty of Nothing". National Film Board of Canada. Retrieved August 29, 2025.
  20. "Le dernier glacier (1984) | IDFA Archive". International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam. Retrieved August 29, 2025.
  21. "Le Crime d'Ovide Plouffe de Denys Arcand (1983)". Unifrance (in French). Retrieved August 29, 2025.
  22. "The Decline of the American Empire | Credits". Vancouver International Film Festival. Retrieved August 29, 2025.
  23. "Alias Will James". Office national du film du Canada (in French and English). Retrieved August 29, 2025.
  24. "Liberty Street Blues (1988) | IDFA Archive". International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam. Retrieved August 29, 2025.
  25. "The Studio". National Film Board of Canada Collection. Retrieved August 29, 2025.
  26. "Pour l'amour du stress". Office national du film du Canada (in French and English). Retrieved August 29, 2025.
  27. "L'affaire Norman William". Office national du film du Canada (in French). Retrieved August 29, 2025.
  28. "Papa". National Film Board of Canada. Retrieved August 29, 2025.
  29. "Expectations". National Film Board of Canada. Retrieved August 29, 2025.
  30. "Le sort de l'Amérique". Office national du film du Canada (in French). Retrieved August 29, 2025.
  31. "Tu as crié LET ME GO". National Film Board of Canada. Retrieved August 29, 2025.