Ghent playwright and theatre director Eric De Volder died last weekend at the age of 64. Often referred to as Ghent's best-kept secret, the director staged performances in his attic theatre, which is still the home of his Toneelgroep Ceremonia, founded in 1992. "Eric De Volder was a theatre icon who presented strong tableaux of both the old and the new Flanders," said Flemish culture minister Joke Schauvliege. "His death is a huge loss, but his oeuvre will continue to inspire theatre makers." De Volder died unexpectedly in his sleep after the premiere of his new play Frans Woyzeck at NT Gent.

Ghent's International Film Festival of Flanders, home of the World Soundtrack Awards, is sponsoring a concert of film music by members of the Brussels Philharmonic in Tallinn, the capital of Estonia. The concert opens the European Film Awards, which take place this year in Tallinn, also the sister city of Ghent. The concert will present work by composers Shigeru Umebayashi, Alberto Iglesias, Arvo Pärt, Gabriel Yared and Belgium's own Dirk Brossé. Both Brossé and Yared will be present at the event. In other film news. Flemish director Eva Küppers' What's in a Name has won the prize for Best Student Documentary at the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam.

Maji, the grandmother giraffe at Planckendael animal park in Mechelen, died last week. The matriarch had sustained an injury to her hip recently, causing her to lose the use of her entire left side. She could not sleep and refused to eat, and finally her caretakers decided to put the animal to sleep. Maji (pictured) was 26 years old, six years older than the average lifespan of a giraffe in captivity. (Those in the wild die much younger.) She leaves behind six children and a number of grandchildren, including two living in Planckendael. A third is expected within the next month.