The Staircase
Written and Directed by Jean-Xavier de Lestrade; Produced by Allyson Luchak and Denis Poncet; Edited by Adam Lichtenstein, Sophie Brunet and Scott Stevenson

Synopsis:
Academy Award-winning documentary filmmaker, Jean-Xavier de Lestrade, presents a gripping courtroom thriller, offering a rare and revealing inside look at a high-profile murder trial. In 2001, author Michael Peterson was arraigned for the murder of his wife Kathleen, whose body was discovered lying in a pool of blood on the stairway of their home. Granted unusual access to Peterson's lawyers, home and immediate family, de Lestrade's cameras capture the defense team as it considers its strategic options. "The Staircase" is an engrossing look at contemporary American justice that features more twists than a legal bestseller.

Reviews:
".astonishing.brilliantly conceived, reported, filmed and paced.it's hard to quit watching."
- Virginia Heffernan, The New York Times, 4/4/05

"Lestrade's cameras pull us farther into the legal system than Law & Order or Court TV ever could, and the result is chilling."
- Joy Press, The Village Voice. 3/28/05

Awards:
Winner, IDA Award, International Documentary Association, 2005

Film Festivals:
Minneapolis-St. Paul International Film Festival, 2005; Full Frame FF