CULTURE

George Clooney says Britain should return ancient monuments to Greece

American actor-director George Clooney on Saturday said that Britain should return Greek monuments to Greece, during a press conference for his film “The Monuments Men” at the 64th Berlin Film Festival, Variety reported.

Asked by a Greek journalist during the press event whether Greece should claim the ancient art treasures – known as the Parthenon Marbles and currently at the British Museum – Clooney said: “I think you have a very good case to make about your artifacts. Maybe it wouldn’t be a bad thing if they returned.

“I think that is a good idea. I think that would be a very fair and very nice thing. Yeah, I think it is the right thing to do.”

Greece has long campaigned for the classical Greek marbles, originally part of the Parthenon temple on the Acropolis, which were removed by Lord Elgin during Ottoman rule, to be returned to Athens.

Clooney’s “The Monuments Men” traces a World War II platoon whose mission is to rescue art masterpieces from the Nazis and return them to their rightful owners.

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