Denis Delestrac

Denis Delestrac in 2005

Denis Delestrac
Born	Denis G. Delestrac (1968-08-14) August 14, 1968 France
Occupation	Film director
Website	http://www.denisdelestrac.com

Denis Delestrac is a french director and producer. He is best known for creating feature-length investigative documentaries. His films focus on the ecological, social, and political impacts of natural resources. His film Sand Wars received international attention and influenced the United Nations Environmental Program to write a report on sand scarcity in 2019.

He has won over 30 international prizes and became a member of the European Film Academy in 2017.

Career

Denis Delestrac graduated from the Toulouse Law School and obtained a Master in Journalism at the University of Dallas. He began working as a photojournalist, later as a writer, in the United States covering the South Central LA riots, the Waco siege and the 1992 presidential elections. In the last two decades, Delestrac has published in several North American and European publications like Le Monde.

Denis Delestrac made his debut in non-fiction filmmaking in 2001. In addition to his TV and theatrical non-fiction works, Delestrac directs branded content films for luxury brands or events. In 2018, he directed Captain's Dream, about the first Art biennale in Antarctica founded by Alexander Ponomarev.

Private life

Delestrac resides with his wife and daughter in Barcelona and Paris.

Selected filmography

Film	Year	Position	Description
The Shadow of Gold	2018	Director, co-writer	Two-parts documentary investigating the true cost of gold mining.
Captain's Dream	2018	Director, writer and producer	The Russian artist and boat captain, Alexander Ponomarev creates the first Biennale in Antarctica.
Freightened	2016	Director, writer	An investigation which reveals the mechanics and perils of freight shipment.
Banking Nature	2014	Director, writer with Sandrine Feydel	A documentary that looks at the growing movement to monetize the natural world and turning endangered species into instruments of profit.
Sand Wars	2013	Director, writer and associate producer	Sand Wars is a docu-thriller about the 2nd most consumed natural resource on the planet.
Pax Americana	2010	Director, writer and associate producer	Pax Americana examines the origins and today's reality of the militarization of space.
Mystery of the Nile	2005	Assistant director	IMAX film documenting the first successful expedition to navigate the entire length of the Blue Nile and Nile from source to sea.
Adventure of the Nile	2005	Assistant director	An adventure documentary with the first expedition to have succeeded in descending Africa's greatest river.
The Nomad Experience	2006	Assistant director	A reflection about spirituality and human values.
Human Rights	2003	Scriptwriter	How armed conflicts affect civilian communities and force displacement, with Amnesty International Secretary Gl Irene Khan.
The Face of the Human Condition	2003	Scriptwriter	A portrait of legendary photographer Steve McCurry.
Recovering the Past	2003	Scriptwriter	Heritage conservation in Africa's poorest country: Sudan. With father of modern archaeology Charles Bonnet.
The Nomad Spirit	2003	Scriptwriter	How market economy has transformed the Mongolian society schemes.
The Mission to Educate	2003	Scriptwriter	The educative, healthcare and economic challenges faced by the Tuareg and Wodaabe tribes of the Ténéré Desert.

Selected Awards

• Best film - Inspiration Category - EKO Film 2013
• Gold Panda for Best Nature & Environment Protection Award - Sishuan TV Festival 2013
• Golden Sun - Barcelona Environmental Film Festival 2013
• Japan Prize NHK 2013 - 2nd Prize
• Greenpeace Prize - Festival du Film Vert 2014
• Best film - San Francisco International Ocean Film Festival 2014
• Finalist - Monte Carlo 33rd International URTI Grand Prix for Author’s Documentary
• Rockie Award - Banff World Media Festival 2014
• Prix Gémeaux 2014
• Winner - Wild and Scenic Film Festival 2015
• Best Film - Green Me Film Festival 2015
• Winner: "Impact Prize" - FIGRA 2015
• Best Environmental Film - Cayman International Film Festival 2015
• Winner of the Expo Milano Prize 2015
• Best Full Length Documentary - 8th Kuala Lumpur Eco Film Fest 2015
• Award of the Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences - Life Sciences Film Festival Prague
• Grand Prize of the City of Innsbruck 2015
• Best International Feature Award - Planet in Focus - Toronto 2015
• Golden Sun - FICMA 2015
• Special Prize - "Emys Foundation" 2015
• Greenpeace Prize - Festival du Film vert de Genève 2016
• Best Film - Another Way Film Festival 2016
• Grands Prix - Ecrans Publics 2016
• Winner - Deauville Green Awards 2016
• Finalist - DIG Awards 2016
• Winner - Deauville Green Awards 2018
• Winner - 3rd place On Art Film Festival 2018

Professional affiliations

• Member of the European Film Academy
• Member of the International Federation of Journalists
• Founding member of The Barcelona International Documentary Club
• Membre Sociétaire Stagiaire du collège audiovisuel de la Société Civile des Auteurs Multimédia

External links

• Official Website
• Denis Delestrac at IMDb
• "Captain's Dream" Official Movie Site
• "Freightened" Official Movie Site
• "Sand Wars" Official Movie Site
• "Pax Americana and the Weaponization of Space" Official Movie Site
• "Breaking the Set" interview by Abby Martin
• TEDx Talk