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. Un coupable idéal (2001), his ninth documentary feature film, won the Academy Award for best documentary in 2002.
