[1][2] Born in Saint-Mont, France, Lamothe immigrated to Canada in 1953 and immediately got a job as a lumberjack in the Abitibi region of northern Quebec.
During his time as a student he became interested in cinema and began writing for several film publications.
In 1961 he was hired by the NFB and wrote Dimanche d'Amérique, his first screenplay, which became the first film by Gilles Carle.
[4] Lamothe has only made a handful of fiction films during his career, and he is best known and most respected for his documentaries.
In his films, Lamothe most frequently explored social and economic themes, as well as activism for issues he passionately supported, especially with regard to indigenous people.