After studying journalism and law in Paris, de Lestrade created his own
TV news agency, Tribulations, in 1987. He directed and produced, within
Tribulations, during five years, and reported for European television.
In 1992, he became a freelance director to be able to specialise in
making documentaries which scrutinizes the mechanisms of society,
mainly its taboos and its justice. Sexual crime (Viols et
Châtiments(1993),
La cavale des innocents (1995), L'inceste face à la justice (1996)),
approach of death (
La vie jusqu'au bout (1998)), genocide in Rwanda and in Australia
(
La justice des hommes (2001),
Une Australie blanche et pure (1998)).
He is associated, since 1995 with the producer
Denis Poncet, first of all
within the company of the French filmmaker
Bertrand Tavernier, then within their
own company Maha Productions.
Murder on a Sunday Morning (2001), his ninth documentary feature
film, won the Academy Award for best documentary in 2002.