Asuncion, Jun 21 (IANS/EFE): Film director Joel Coen and his wife, actress Frances McDormand, paid a surprise visit to a film class at a university in the Paraguayan capital, where they shared their experiences in the industry, organizers of the event told EFE.

"It was an unannounced visit ... they had come for personal reasons. It was a completely private visit," the head of the film department at Asuncion's Universidad Columbia de Paraguay, Sergio Colman, said.

The Hollywood stars were invited to the university by Paraguayan filmmaker Tana Schembori, who met McDormand during last year's San Sebastian Film Festival, he added.

According to the local press, the American couple travelled to the country to meet the birth family of their Paraguayan-born adoptive son, and at Schembori's request spent a couple hours Wednesday meeting with the film students.

McDormand is best known for her performance as pregnant, small-town police officer Marge Gunderson in the crime film "Fargo", which was directed by her husband, a role that earned her a best actress Oscar.

Joel Coen, who jointly writes, directs and produces his films with his brother, Ethan, won a best original screenplay Oscar for "Fargo", released in 1996, and a best director Oscar and best adapted screenplay Oscar for the 2007 thriller "No Country for Old Men".