Top Cannes award goes to 'The Class'

Rex Features

The Palme d'Or, the top honour at the Cannes Film Festival, has been awarded to French movie The Class.

Director Laurent Cantet filmed real students and teachers to give a "documentary-like" feel to his depiction of a year at a school in a Paris suburb.

The Cannes best actor award went to Benicio Del Toro for his role in Steven Soderbergh's new biopic Che. Del Toro dedicated the honour to "the man himself, Che Guevara".

A panel of judges led by Sean Penn also decided to award special prizes to French actress Catherine Deneuve and actor-turned-director Clint Eastwood.