Arthur Lamothe facts for kids

Arthur Lamothe, who was also a member of the Order of Canada, was a talented French-Canadian film director and film producer. He was born on December 7, 1928, and passed away on September 18, 2013. He was known for making many films, especially documentaries.

Arthur Lamothe's Life Story

Arthur Lamothe was born in a town called Saint-Mont in France. In 1953, he moved to Canada. His first job there was working as a lumberjack in northern Quebec. This was a tough job, cutting down trees.

In 1954, he started studying economics at the Université de Montréal. While he was a student, he became very interested in movies. He even started writing for different film magazines. After he finished university in 1958, he got a job as a writer for Radio-Canada, a big Canadian broadcasting company.

Starting His Film Career

In 1961, Arthur Lamothe joined the NFB. This is a famous place where many Canadian films are made. He wrote his first movie script, called Dimanche d'Amérique. This script became the first film directed by Gilles Carle, another well-known filmmaker.

In 1962, Lamothe directed his very first film. It was a short documentary called Bûcherons de la Manouane. This film was about lumberjacks, probably inspired by his own experience.

Focus on Documentaries

In 1965, he directed his first longer movie that told a story, called Poussière sur la ville. But this movie wasn't very popular. So, Arthur Lamothe decided to go back to making documentaries.

Most of his films were documentaries. These are movies that show real life and real events. He was very respected for these films. In his documentaries, Lamothe often explored important social and economic topics. He also used his films to support causes he cared about. He was especially passionate about issues affecting Aboriginal people.

Awards and Recognition

Arthur Lamothe received important awards for his work. In 1980, he won the Prix Albert-Tessier. This is a big award for people who have done great things in Quebec cinema.

In 1995, he was made a member of the Order of Canada. This is one of the highest honors a Canadian citizen can receive. It shows that he made a huge difference to Canada.

A famous Canadian song, "Mon Pays" by Gilles Vigneault, was written for Lamothe's 1965 film The Snow Has Melted on the Manicouagan.

Arthur Lamothe's Films

Arthur Lamothe made many films during his career. While he made a few story-based movies, he was most famous for his documentaries.

Story Films (Features)

• The Snow Has Melted on the Manicouagan (1965)
• Dust from Underground (1968)
• Equinox (1986)
• Ernest Livernois, photographe (1988)
• Silencing the Guns (1996)

Documentary Films

Arthur Lamothe made many short and long documentaries. He often focused on the lives and cultures of Aboriginal people in Canada. He also explored topics like industry, work, and education. Here are a few examples:

• Manouane River Lumberjacks (1962) - One of his first documentaries about lumberjacks.
• Chronique des indiens du Nord-est du Québec (Series, 1973-1980) - A long series about Indigenous communities in northeastern Quebec.
• Carcajou et le péril blanc (Series, 1973-1980) - Another series exploring the challenges faced by Indigenous people.
• Thunder Drum (Series, 1982-1983) - A series of films about Indigenous cultures.
• Cultures amérindiennes (Series of 80 videos, 1984-2004) - A huge collection of videos about different Indigenous cultures.
• La conquête de l'amérique (Series, 1990-1992) - A series looking at the history of the Americas.