During a press conference for his recent film “The Monuments Men,” at the Berlin Film Festival, George Clooney replying to a Greek journalist, supported the return of the Parthenon marbles to Greece. “I think you have a very good case to make about your artifacts. Maybe it wouldn’t be a bad thing if they were returned. I think that’s a good idea. I think that would be a very fair and very nice thing. Yeah, I think it’s the right thing to do,” he said.
His statement has caused intense reactions in Britain. The British newspaper, The Independent, published an article entitled “George Clooney believes Britain should lose its Marbles” strongly criticizing Clooney’s statement.
According to Independent, John Whittingdale, the chairman of the Culture, Media and Sport Committee claimed that the actor didn’t know what he was talking about. Whittingdale said that he admires George Clooney but he doesn’t know the history of Elgin and the Parthenon marbles as well as the legal entitlement that Britain has to them.
“He’s an American. I suspect he doesn’t know why it is that Britain came to acquire the Elgin Marbles. There’s a very strong view in this country that they should stay in the UK,” he added.
Meanwhile a British Museum spokeswoman stated that everyone has the right to express their opinion but it is for the public benefit that the marbles should remain in the British Museum collection.
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