At this funeral, they all worked together like one family to help host and feed the 200 guests. Ten years ago a funeral like this would have been impossible. At that time people were not allowed to speak Hungarian in public, and it was even forbidden to play or listen to Hungarian music. At wedding parties, the musicians were required to inform the police in advance about which melodies would be played. The entire funeral was filmed by Magyar TV1, about which I had mixed feelings.
Cameras are very intrusive and can make people feel like they are being put on display.
On the other hand, I think it is important for his man, this orchestra, and this village to become better known throughout the world. They portray such a unique village culture, with customs that have long since disappeared in other places. All in all, it was an impressive and moving experience to be part of such a rich piece of village culture in a country where poverty is widespread, health care is lacking, deaths are premature, and minorities are discriminated against.