Rampling wins French César award

Charlotte Rampling: 35-year career honoured

British-born actress Charlotte Rampling has won an honorary César award - the French equivalent to an Oscar - from France's Academy of Cinema.

The 55-year-old actress's career, which spans 35 years, includes appearances in Georgy Girl and The Cherry Orchard, plus an OBE last year for her services to acting and UK-French cultural relations.

The best film award was won by French Oscar hopeful Le Gout des Autres (A Taste of Others), a comedy directed by Agnes Jaoui, which picked up four prizes, while Harry, Un Ami Qui Vous Veut du Bien (Harry He's Here to Help) won a best director award for German-born Dominik Moll.

The best foreign film award went to Hong Kong director Wong Kar-wai's In the Mood For Love.

Best film: Harry He's Here to Help

Other recipients of honorary Césars were 72-year-old director Agnes Varda, whose recent titles include The Gleaners and I, and actor Darry Cowl, 75, whose long career ranges from the 1957 The Cyclist to Augustin, King of Kung Fu in 1999.

Le Gout is has also been given recognition at the Oscars, with a nomination for best non-English language film, along with Taiwan's Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon - which has 10 nominations - and Divided We Fall from the Czech Republic.

The best actor César went to Spaniard Sergi Lopez for Harry in Le Gout, and the best actress award went to Dominique Blanc, hailed as France's Bette Davis, for her role in Stand-By.

Ressources Humaines (Human resources) Laurent Cantet's debut film, picked up two prizes.