Stars get snap happy for charity

Stars of stage, screen, sport and music were invited to take snaps with a throwaway camera and donate them to a charity auction.

Fans packed into a French hotel to bid for the undeveloped cameras not knowing what was on the films.

The lucky bidders then had to make the decision whether to process them or keep the camera intact because they were all signed by the donator.

More than 50,000 euros (£32,115) was raised for press watchdog Reporters Without Borders (RSF).

The organisation works to ensure journalists are not arrested, attacked or imprisoned while doing their jobs.

Buyers had to agree to keep the developed photographs private before bidding for them.

Silence of the Lambs actor Anthony Hopkins saw his camera snapped up for 900 euros (£578), while co-star Jodie Foster's went for 1,010 euros (£648).

'Lovely dream'

One of biggest bids was for the camera used by former Bond actress Sophie Marceau, who took shots of herself while pregnant, which sold for 2,300 euros (£1,477).

Oscar-winning actress Juliette Binoche is a patron of the charity which defends the freedom of the press worldwide.

"As one of the photographers, I can tell you it was like a lovely dream, because there was always something funny about imagining who would end up with this camera," she said.

Her camera was eventually bought by French presenter Thierry Ardisson for 4,500 euros (£2,890), the highest bid of the night.

Others who donated their creative photography included French soccer players Zinedine Zidane and Christophe Dugarry, actor Michael J Fox and Amelie star Audrey Tautou.

The RSF said that 31 journalists had been killed in 2001, including eight in Afghanistan, and 119 were locked up in jails around the world.