Monique Fortier (July 6, 1928 – August 18, 2025) was a Canadian film editor.Tracy, Andrew (August 29, 2025). "Genie-winning editor, filmmaker Monique Fortier dies at 97". Playback. Retrieved August 29, 2025. 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.
Life and career Fortier was born in Montreal on July 6, 1928.Morris, Peter (1984). The Film Companion. Irwin Publishing. . p. 117. 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.Jean, Marcel; Loiselle, Marie-Claude (Summer 1995). "Entretien avec Monique Fortier" (PDF). 24 images (in French) (77): 16–18. . She also subsequently directed La beauté mème in 1964, but devoted her career primarily to editing thereafter.Marshall, Bill (2001). Quebec National Cinema. McGill–Queen's University Press. . p. 214.
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.Scott, Jay (February 15, 1985). "Bay Boy reels in 11 Genie nominations". The Globe and Mail. 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.
In 2014, she was the subject of Making Movie History: Monique Fortier, a short documentary film by Denys Desjardins.
Fortier died in Saint-Donat, Lanaudière on August 18, 2025, at the age of 97.
Filmography Year Title Notes Reference1961 Courtship (Le Temps des amours) Editor 1962 Strangers for the Day (Pour quelques arpents de neige) Co-editor (with Jacques Godbout and Georges Dufaux) 1962 September Five at Saint-Henri (À St-Henri le cinq septembre) Editor 1963 The Hour of Independence (À l’heure de la décolonisation) Director and editor 1964 Villeneuve, peintre-barbier Editor 1964 La beauté même Writer, director and editor 1965 Ville-Marie (Les Montréalistes) Editor 1965 Stravinsky Editor 1965 Les Départs nécessaires Editor 1967 FLQ Editor 1968 Les bombes Editor 1968 The River Schooners (Les Voitures d'eau) Editor 1968 Swing la baquaise Editor 1969 La guerre des pianos Editor 1971 Acadia, Acadia (L'Acadie, L'Acadie?!?) Editor 1971 César's Bark Canoe (César et son canot d'écorce) Editor 1972 Chez nous, c'est chez nous Editor 1972 (Québec : Duplessis et après...) Acknowledged as "with the help of [Monique Fortier]" 1973 Les raquettes des Atcikameg Editor 1974 Participant 1975 Jean Carignan, Fiddler (Jean Carignan, violoneux) Editor 1977 Editor 1977 Damase Breton, cordonnier Editor 1980 Land Without Trees, or the Mouchouânipi (Le pays de la terre sans arbre ou Le mouchouânipi) Editor 1981 Fermont, P.Q. Editor 1982 Plenty of Nothing (Madame, vous avez rien) Editor 1983 Les voiles bas et en travers Editor 1984 The Last Glacier (Le dernier glacier) Editor 1984 The Crime of Ovide Plouffe (Le Crime d'Ovide Plouffe) Editor 1985 La grande allure Two part documentary, editor for both parts 1986 The Decline of the American Empire (Le Déclin de l'empire américain) Editor 1986 Bam Pay A!: Rends-moi mon pays! Editor 1988 Alias Will James Editor 1988 Liberty Street Blues Editor 1989 The Studio (L'Atelier) Editor 1990 Au chic resto pop Editor 1990 Pour l'amour du stress Editor 1991 The Norman William Affair (L'affaire Norman William) Editor 1992 Papa Editor 1992 The Black Sheep (Le Mouton noir) Editor 1993 Doctors with Heart (Médecins de coeur) Editor 1993 Expectations (L'Attente) Editor 1997 (Le sort de l'Amérique) Editor 1997 Tu as crié: Let Me Go Co-editor (with Yves Dion) 1999 The Big Snake of the World (Le Grand serpent du monde) Final credit as editor 2011 (La vie privée du cinéma) Self 2014 Making Movie History: Monique Fortier Self
Awards and nominations Year Association Category Work Result Reference1985 Genie Awards Best Editing The Crime of Ovide Plouffe (Le Crime d'Ovide Plouffe) 1987 The Decline of the American Empire (Le Déclin de l'empire américain)
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