| Description | Woods and countryside. Caption: "The Outlaw’s Song". Countryside and village scenes. Song heard over, subtitled in English. Woman singing. Villagers in city.
Song continues over. Railway station. Caption: "Budapest. 7 months after the first democratic election." City street scenes. Street scenes. Márta Sebestyén, Singer, explains how she learned the Transylvanian style of singing; VO continues over shot of her singing with elderly village woman. Sebestyén says it’s only possible to learn the emotions of the songs from contact with the people. Village scenes. Caption: "Romania. 10 months after the Revolution." Harvesting. Commentary explains that Transylvania was once part of Hungary but is now in Romania; two million Hungarians still live there. Hungarian Romanians selling embroidery in Budapest. People singing and dancing in Budapest Dance House. Commentary says many people travelled to Transylvania clandestinely to bring the village music back to the city. Scenes of Budapest. Antique shop. Commentary describes map showing loss of Hungarian territory, including Transylvania, after First World War. Béla Halmos, Musician and Music Researcher, talking about being able to visit Transylvania normally until 1974; after that, it became dangerous for the villagers who "were often punished" for co-operating with folk-music collectors. Country roads; Halmos VO. Sebestyén and Halmos arriving at the house of Marton Maneszes. Caption: "Magyarszovát." Village scenes. Commentary explains that population of the village is three-quarters Hungarian and one quarter Romanian. Sebestyén and Halmos with Maneszes, who relates how, in 1980, he was beaten up by the police and had to sign a declaration that he wouldn’t play the violin again. Painting of Ceaucescu and wife; news footage of Ceaucescu with children. Maneszes plays fiddle and sings a traditional enlisting song. Music continues over scenes of dancers. Dancers at night-time "enlisting ceremony" in Szék. Halmos explains the tradition. |
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