Denyse Benoit facts for kids

Denyse Benoit is a Canadian actress, director, and writer. She is from Montreal, Quebec. She is well-known for her films like La Crue (1976), La belle Apparence (1979), and Le dernier Havre (1986).

Early Life and Learning

Denyse Benoit was born in Sainte-Dorothée, Quebec, Canada, on June 28, 1949. She studied painting and sculpture in Montreal from 1966 to 1968. This was at the School of Fine Arts.

After two years of university in Quebec, she moved to Belgium. She wanted to learn even more about art. She studied at the Institute des arts de diffusion in Brussels. For three years, she learned many things about the arts. She took classes in mass media, literature, theater, and music. She also learned about how to work with text and voice.

Starting Her Career

In January 1971, Denyse finished her studies. She then went to Paris for an internship. She worked with Catherine Dasté at the Green Apples Theatre. Denyse helped Dasté direct a play called Glomoël et les pommes de terres géantes.

Catherine Dasté said Denyse was very hardworking. She always met her goals with care and skill. After this, Denyse decided to keep directing plays in Europe. In Belgium, she acted, hosted, and directed shows for children.

Film and TV Work

When Denyse came back to Quebec, she taught theater. She also helped with cultural events in Gaspésie and Montreal. By this time, she had already written many stories. Some of these were La rué verte and Jeux de relations.

In 1973, she wrote and directed her first short film. It was called Coup d'œil blanc. In 1974, she made her second short film, Un instant près d’elle.

La Crue (1976)

In 1976, Denyse wrote and directed her third short film, La Crue. This film is about the yearly spring flood in the Montreal suburbs. She made La Crue with her friends and a very small budget. They filmed it on weekends during the month of the flood.

The film won the Best Scenario award at the Festival de l'image de Montréal. It was also shown at many international film festivals. At one festival in France, her film was seen as one of the best ten films shown.

Feature Films

In 1979, Denyse directed, wrote, and produced her first full-length movie. It was called La belle apparence. This film was chosen for many festivals in Montreal and France. At that time, French people did not know much about movies from Quebec. Her film helped them learn more.

In 1980, she wrote a script for a TV documentary. It was called L’Étiquette. In 1986, she wrote and directed her second full-length movie, Le dernier havre. This film was based on a book by Yves Thériault. The movie is about the last days of an old fisherman. It was filmed in the Baies des chaleurs.

Le dernier havre won the Public Prize at the Hull-Ottawa cinema festival. It also received a special mention at a sea festival in Toulou, France. Denyse started working on this film in 1979. The script was ready for filming in 1982. Sadly, the writer Yves Thériault passed away before the movie was finished. He never saw the final film.

In 1986, Denyse had a son. She decided to focus on writing scripts for a while. In 1991, she returned to filmmaking. She wrote and directed a docudrama called Two Thieves. This film was about a sculptor from Montreal. It was shown on CBC Toronto.

From 2003 to 2004, she wrote and directed a drama film. It was called Le Secret de Cyndia. This movie was made on a very low budget. During this time, she also helped write another full-length film. It was a Christmas story called Station Nord.

After Her Film Career

From 2005 to 2006, Denyse stopped making movies. She focused on writing books for adults and children. She wrote "Le lieu fit," "Olivia du Tarn," and "Les contes de l'enfant aux tissous."

She also started drawing pictures for books. In 2009, she built her own art studio. Now, she spends her time doing artistic work. She once said in an interview that visual arts are her favorite hobby.

Important Role

From 1976 to 1990, Denyse Benoit held an important position. She was the vice-president and treasurer of the Quebec directors association.

Filmography

Short Films

Feature Films