Film correspondent Francine Laurendeau has passed away.
Late Film Critic Francine Laurendeau, a Pioneer in Quebec's Film Industry, Bids Farewell
Le Devoir's former film critic, Francine Laurendeau, passed away in Montreal on Wednesday. Born in 1936, she hailed from a cultured, bourgeois family in Outremont. Her father, André Laurendeau, served as editor-in-chief of Le Devoir from 1947 to 1961.
Francine Laurendeau, a versatile talent, worked as a director and host at Radio-Canada for many years. Last year, a tribute book, She Who Loves, was published, showcasing her writings, interviews, and testimonials from numerous personalities like Robert Daudelin, Marcel Jean, Louise Porta, Pierre Jutras, and more. The book also included photos, many captured by Jean-Claude Labrecque, her life partner and a documentary filmmaker.
In her youth, Francine was captivated by cinema, immersing herself in cine-clubs. She read Simone de Beauvoir's influential book, The Second Sex, in 1958, and led the first student strike to demand equal university access. Jean-Claude Labrecque documented this rebellious spirit in a film titled The Story of the Three in 1990.
The young Francine ventured to Paris in the early 1960s, where her father had once studied social sciences. The French New Wave was blooming, and she joined the movement by writing her first film critiques. Following her return to Canada, her career skyrocketed, securing her a spot hosting a film-focused show on Radio-Canada's cultural channel for over 25 years. Her insightful pieces were published across various platforms, including our website, Cinema Quebec, and Sequences.
In a poignant article by colleague Jean Bourbeau, he recalls their brief encounter during the pandemic when they both worked at a CHSLD in Saint-Henri. He describes Francine as "a tiny, frail woman with such presence," always impeccably dressed, her sharp eyes behind glasses, and a voice that was soft yet piercingly sharp. Her polite, aristocratic accent seemed slightly out of place in the grim, austere surroundings.
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- Francine Laurendeau's career flourished not only in Quebec's film industry but also in the world of French New Wave movies, as she wrote her first film critiques while living in Paris during the early 1960s.
- Editions Exceptionnel, a publishing house, might consider a reprint of She Who Loves, Francine Laurendeau's tribute book, in light of her recent passing, attracting celebrities and entertainment enthusiasts alike.
- Despite her aristocratic background and impeccable demeanor, Francine Laurendeau never shied away from embracing change, as evident in her active participation in Student Movement protests demanding equal university access.
- In the realm of movies-and-tv entertainment, recidivist issues on market dominance are being addressed. For instance, U.S. authorities are actively pushing to dismantle Google's advertising empire, arguing that ignoring a "repeated monopolist" would stall the resolution of related market issues.
