Thierry de Lestrade is a French filmmaker who has directed several award-winning documentaries. He was born in France in 1959 and began his filmmaking career in the early 1980s.
De Lestrade is best known for his 2002 documentary The Staircase, which follows the trial of Michael Peterson, a man accused of murdering his wife. The film was praised for its compelling and intimate look at the case and its participants. It won a Peabody Award and was nominated for a Primetime Emmy.
De Lestrade’s other documentaries include The Oath (2010), about two Yemeni-American men who were held in Guantanamo Bay, and School of Babel (2014), which follows a group of students from around the world as they attend a public school in Paris.
De Lestrade has also directed several feature films, including Susanne (2004) and My Life with James Dean (2006). His most recent film is The Trouble With You (2018), a romantic comedy starring Adèle Haenel and Pio Marmaï.
In addition to his filmmaking career, de Lestrade is an active member of the French film industry. He is a founding member of the France-based production company, Agat Films & Cie, and has served on the jury of the Cannes Film Festival. He was also a board member of the César Awards from 2008 to 2014.
De Lestrade’s documentaries have earned him numerous awards, including the César Award for Best Documentary in 2008 and the Grand Prix des Amériques at the Montreal World Film Festival in 2010.
Throughout his career, de Lestrade has shown a commitment to telling stories that explore the human condition. His films often feature intimate, character-driven narratives that are both thought-provoking and emotionally resonant. As a filmmaker, de Lestrade has proven himself to be a master at blending his own unique style with his subjects’ stories to create compelling works of art.
