Cesar nominees Etre Et Avoir and Talk To Her took the major French film critics' awards on Monday evening at a ceremony in Paris.

Etre Et Avoir is a documentary by Nicolas Philibert centering on a small provincial school with only one class. The film's star, professor Georges Lopez, has become something of a celebrity in France - although he has since retired from teaching. Etre Et Avoir picked up the Prix Melies for best French film and has already won the Prix Louis Delluc this year.

Pedro Almodovar's Talk To Her won the best foreign film prize - it is also nominated for a Cesar in the same category - called the Prix Leon Moussinac. Another Cesar nominee, Se Souvenir De Belles Choses by Zabou Breitman picked up the best feature debut prize.

Absent from the winners' circle was Francois Ozon's 8 Femmes which is France's Oscar entry and leads the Cesar nominations with 12 nods.