A graduate of the University of Montreal where he taught the Psychology of Mass Communications, Gérard Le Chêne collaborated with several Quebec media during the 1990s. He is one of the founding members of Amnesty International in Quebec and co-founder of the production company, InformAction Films. Under the symbolic name of Alain d’Aix (a reference to fighting censorship), he has directed numerous films, several of which have won awards. InformAction Films has grown into a leading documentary production company, particularly in the genre of “auteur” documentary.

After filming Vivre en Creole, then the series Transmission d’expériences créoles sur l’affirmation culturelle dans le monde créolophone des Caraïbes et de l’Océan Indien, Gérard Le Chêne was appointed Honorary Consul of the Republic of Seychelles to Canada in 1993. In 1984 he co-founded, and from 1985-2010, was CEO of Vues d’Afrique. Under his leadership, the festival, held annually in Montreal, has grown considerably, becoming the largest outside the continent. Since 2010, he has been international CEO with the mission of developing its influence on all continents. In 2018, the International Organization of La Francophonie granted Vues d’Afrique consultative status.

Through his films and his unifying and visionary direction of Vues d’Afrique, Gérard Le Chêne has constantly highlighted the importance of culture as a tool for understanding others and as an antidote to intolerance. He has been recognized with numerous awards nationally and internationally and was invested into the Order of Canada in 2020.