The film is about a strong-willed woman who accompanies her photographer husband on a trip through rural Québec in the late 19th century.
Martin Photographer was first released in Québec, critics for publications such as Le Devoir and La Presse gave it negative reviews.
After it won praise at the Cannes Film Festival, and Monique Mercure became the first Canadian to win the award for Best Actress, critical opinion in Québec became more positive.
Martin Photographer was selected as the Canadian entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 50th Academy Awards, but was not accepted as a nominee.
[7] American director Robert Altman, whose film 3 Women also screened at Cannes that year (its star Shelley Duvall tied with Mercure for the Best Actress prize) was so impressed that he hired cinematographer Pierre Mignot on nine of his subsequent films, including Come Back to the 5 & Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean, Streamers, Fool for Love and Prêt-à-Porter.