ON THE ROAD: Centuries Of Roma Gypsies

'Forgiving'

And then his dad smiles, and extends a hand, and says, "Which one are you?" He's so charming, it is impossible to take it the wrong way.

"Whether I'll see my father again, well maybe I will, but definitely not on my own"
Arpad Bogdan

He's called Laszlo too. He was in prison for 12 years.

"I had a mean punch," he says. "I always say better be accompanied by a prison guard than a priest on your way to the cemetery. Isn't that right?"

The elder Laszlo doesn't see much of any of his nine children anymore. "At least you came to find me," he says.

"As for the past, let's pull a veil over it, we should look to the future from now on."

Back in Budapest, Arpad must think about his own future. First he must decide what his next film is about. He's not really in a dilemma about whether to carve a career as a "gypsy director". He doesn't want to be typecast.

But he is uncertain about whether to stay in touch with his dad.

"I looked at my father, into his eyes, and I suddenly felt myself forgiving him. I let him go, along with all the bad things I used to blame him for," he says.

"After that, I could see him for what he is, I could listen to him. Whether I'll see my father again, well maybe I will, but definitely not on my own. I will have to take someone with me, someone from my own life."

We'll have to wait and see what he does.

So far, he doesn't know himself.

Life on the Edge is broadcast on
BBC World News
on Tuesdays at 1930 GMT.

The films were made for the
BBC by TVE.