Marquise Lepage facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Marquise Lepage
Marquise Lepage at the cinémathèque québécoise in 2018
Born	Marquise Lepage (1959-09-06) September 6, 1959 (age 66) Chénéville, Quebec, Canada
Occupation	Screenwriter, director, producer
Years active	1983–present
Children	2

Marquise Lepage (born September 6, 1959, in Chénéville, Quebec) is a talented Canadian filmmaker. She works as a producer, screenwriter, and director for both movies and TV shows.

Marquise is well-known for her 1987 film Marie in the City (Marie s'en va-t-en ville). This movie earned her a nomination for Best Director. She was also nominated for her short film Your Country, My Country (Dans ton pays) in 1993.

In 1991, she started working for the National Film Board (NFB). One of her first big projects there was The Lost Garden: The Life and Cinema of Alice Guy-Blaché. This was a documentary about Alice Guy-Blaché, a very important female pioneer in cinema.

Marquise Lepage often directs films and documentaries that focus on social issues. She has said that she is a feminist. She has also led groups that support equality for female filmmakers. In 2008, she started her own company called Les Productions du Cerf-Volant. Her film One Night Stand: A Modern Love Story (Ce qu'il ne faut pas dire) was one of the first movies she directed and produced for her company. Her most recent film, Apapacho, was released in 2019.

Early Life and Education

Marquise Lepage was born in 1959. She is the seventh of nine children in her family. The first movie she ever saw was Disney’s Bambi.

After high school, she studied social sciences. She then decided to study Communications at the Université du Québec à Montréal (UQÀM). She didn't know anyone in the film industry at the time. She later earned a Masters in Film Studies from Université de Montréal.

Personal Life and Family

Marquise Lepage has two children, twins named Alice and Jérémie, born in 1995. She named her daughter Alice after Alice Guy-Blaché. Marquise made a documentary about Alice Guy-Blaché called The Lost Garden in 1995.

Marquise has lived in the Villeray neighborhood of Montreal for over 20 years. In 2015, she sold her house to help pay for her film One Night Stand: A Modern Love Story.

Filmmaking Career

Marquise Lepage began her career in 1983. She joined a production company called Les Productions du Lundi matin. The head of the company, Marcel Simard, gave her a chance to direct her first feature film.

Her first film was Marie s’en va-t-en ville. It tells the story of Marie, a 13-year-old runaway, and Sarah, an older woman who helps her. Marquise worked with Les Productions du Lundi matin until 1991.

In 1991, she joined the National Film Board of Canada (NFB). While there, she directed Your Country, My Country (Dans ton pays). This short film is about two elementary school classmates from different backgrounds who become friends. She also directed a children’s movie called La fête des rois.

Marquise was the president of a film directors' association in Quebec from 1990 to 1991. From 2007 to 2012, she was also president of Réalisatrices Équitables (RÉ). This group works to support female film directors in Quebec.

In 2008, Marquise founded her own company, Les Productions du Cerf-Volant. She wrote, directed, and produced One Night Stand: A Modern Love Story. This film is a mix of romantic comedy and drama. It tells the story of a young filmmaker with a secret that makes her love life complicated.

The film was made without big funding from Canadian institutions. Some money was raised through a crowdfunding campaign online. It was released in May 2016 in Montreal and Quebec City.

Marquise has also worked on a new film called Apapacho. This Spanish word means "cuddle." The film is a joint project between Canada and Mexico. It tells the story of two sisters who travel to Mexico after their other sister's death.

Filmmaking Style

Marquise Lepage has created many documentaries and fiction films. She enjoys both screenwriting and directing. She says screenwriting is a quiet, solo task, while directing is like a big party with many people.

She likes to work with the same people on her films. She believes that working together often helps people understand and even like each other more.

A common theme in Marquise's films is childhood and unfairness towards children. Her film Of Hopscotch and Little Girls (Des marelles et des petites filles) won an award in 2000. This movie shows the lives of girls around the world who face poverty or other difficulties.

Marquise is also concerned about how women are treated and how few women work in the film industry. Her documentary The Lost Garden is about French-American filmmaker Alice Guy-Blaché. Alice directed over 1,000 films but was largely forgotten. Marquise's film won an award in 1996.

Her 2009 documentary Martha of the North (Martha qui vient du froid) also shows her focus on social issues. It tells the story of Martha Flaherty, an Inuit woman. Martha and her family were moved by the Canadian government to the Far North in the 1950s. It took Marquise over six years to make this film. After the film was released, the Canadian government apologized to the Inuit families who were moved.

Marquise often mixes elements of fiction and documentary in her films. She believes that films should make people feel something for the characters. In 2013, she released Iqqaumavara, a web series and educational website. It shares short films and information about the High Arctic relocation.

Works

Films

Television

Other Projects

Awards and Honors

• 2009: Women of Distinction Award in Arts and culture, Women's Y Foundation
• 1999: Named Artiste pour la paix, Les Artistes pour la paix
• 1991: Woman of the Year in the field of Arts
• 1990: Invited to Hollywood for the event "A New Wave from Québec"
• 1988: Quebec representative at the Tokyo Film Festival

Contributions to the Film Industry

Marquise Lepage has also contributed to the film industry in many ways:

• 2007-2009: Board Member of the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television
• 2001-2003: Collaborator at the Institut national de l'image et du son (INIS)
• 1999-2001: Hired as director for Radio-Canada
• 1991-1994: Hired as director for the National Film Board of Canada (NFB)
• 1990-1991: President of the Association of filmmakers and directors of Quebec (ARRQ)
• 1983-1991: Associate and Board Member of les Productions du Lundi matin
• 1997: Lecturer in Cinema department at Université du Québec à Montréal (UQÀM)
• 1996: Lecturer in Cinema department at Université de Montréal (UdeM)
• She has been a jury member for national and international festivals.
• She has written for various publications.
• She mentors young screenwriters and filmmakers.
• She volunteers for various organizations.