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This original 16 mm film footage was found among Ferenc László's papers several years after his passing in 2010. It was in an envelope on which he had written in ink: "Utolsó TV-interjú, 1984" (Hungarian for "Last TV-interview, 1984").

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The interview was recorded shortly before the shutting down of Hungarian language programs ("magyar adás") by the Romanian Television Broadcasting Corporation (TVR) in 1985. The Communist leadership's decision to shut down TV and radio programs of ethnic minorities (along with much else in terms of television in Romania), put an end to Ferenc László's decade-long presence on TV with programs on classical music and Hungarian folklore.

 

Ferenc László probably got this bit of film as a souvenir from Katalin Simonffy, Hungarian editor at TVR. Sadly, only 1 minute and 18 seconds could be rescued and digitized. The original film of about 2 minutes was destroyed in the process.

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The footage was clearly never broadcast on television. It is a unique document that shows a wealth of things, from the crammed study of Ferenc László to the rudimentary technology used to record television programs in Romania during the 1980s to how an experienced interviewee could actually help overcome some of the gaps and deficiencies in that technology.  

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The interviewer is Katalin Simonffy, the recording was made in Ferenc László's study at his home in Cluj, Romania.

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