Denise Filiatrault

In 1968, Denise Filiatrault interpreted the role of Rose Ouimet in Michel Tremblay’s Les belles-soeurs. She has appeared in numerous films, including La mort d’un bûcheron (G. Carle, 1973), Il était une fois dans l’Est (A. Brassard, 1973) and such France-Quebec co-productions as Par le sang des autres (Simenon, 1974), Au revoir… à lundi (Dugowson, 1979) and Mado (C. Sautet, 1976).

Writer, actress, comedienne and director, Denise Filiatrault pursued her career in the theatre, where she directed Les Fridolinades by Gratien Gélinas, Les fourberies de Scapin by Molière, Demain matin Montréal m’attend by Michel Tremblay, Les leçons de Maria Callas, Les palmes de M. Schutz, Cabaret by Joe Masteroff, My Fair Lady, an adaptation of the play by George Bernard Shaw, and Neuf, inspired by Fellini’s 8 1/2, at Théâtre du Rideau Vert. With her customary drive and determination, she then tackled the world of film direction with C’t’à ton tour Laura Cadieux I and II, L’odyssée d’Alice Tremblay and Ma vie en cinémascope. Returning to television, she then both wrote and directed the series Le petit monde de Laura Cadieux I, II and III.

Denise Filiatrault was named an Officer of the Ordre national du Québec as well as of the Order of Canada and has received many awards, including the Prix Gémeaux-Hommage in 1995 in honour of her entire career, the Prix Victor-Morin in 1991 for her entire body of work and the Masque (Prix du public), which she received twice, in 1995 and 1996. In 1999, she was presented with the Governor General’s Performing Arts Award; in 2005, she received the Advancement of Women Grand Prize; and, in March 2006, she was awarded the Prix Jutra-Hommage.

Denise Filiatrault was inducted into the Academy of Great Montrealers in the Cultural category in 2007 and was named a Commander of the Ordre de Montréal in 2016.