Czechs Not Coming

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31223, 22 November 1966, Page 14

Czechs Not Coming

(N.Z Press Association)

WELLINGTON,

Nov. 18.

A Czech group due in Wellington on Tuesday to start a twoweek tour of personal appearances in conjunction with the first Czech film festival for this country is not coming.

Today a cable from Prague advised the Czech Charge D’Affaires in Wellington (Mr J. Kovarik) that the trip had

been cancelled because of visa difficulties. The exact nature of the problem was not known, but it is believed that the trouble was on the way to New Zealand.

The party was to have come by way of Hong Kong. Immigration authorities in Wellington today said that entry visas into New Zealand for two members of the group were approved in September.

They covered Miss Kveta Fialove, a film star, and Mr Ladislav Pespil, head of the Czechoslovakian Film Export Department. The other two visitors ex-i

pected were Mr and Mrs Arnost Lustig. Mr Lustig wrote the script for one of the festival films. The immigration authorities said no applications had been received for this couple.

Miss Fialove and her companions were to have made public appearances in Wellington, Auckland and Christchurch. Visits were arranged to several of the country’s well-known tourist spots, including Lake Taupo. Rotorua and the Hermitage. A visit to a typical New Zealand farm in the North Island was also in the itinerary. The festival will go on as planned.