A documentary about the Marbles featuring Brian Cox and the Highland “model” for repatriation
Most of us know Brian Cox as the powerful media mogul from Succession, or perhaps as Agamemnon in the epic film Troy. But beyond Hollywood, the acclaimed Scottish actor has a very real connection to ancient Greece — and he’s not shy about it. In a new documentary focusing on the Parthenon Marbles, Cox passionately advocates for their return to Greece.
Director David Wilkinson, the British filmmaker behind the documentary, explains in an interview:
“Brian Cox is very clear that the Marbles should not be here. When I was looking for Scottish voices to feature — since Scotland has long led by example when it comes to repatriations — he immediately agreed to take part. He even says in the film that if Elgin had given the Marbles to a museum in Edinburgh, they’d have been sent back years ago.”
Wilkinson’s documentary, titled The Marbles, premieres this October at the Central Scotland Documentary Festival. True to its subtitle “From Scotland with Love,” the Highlands nation plays a leading role as an ethical example: Scotland was the first to return part of the famed Benin Bronzes to Nigeria, and Glasgow’s city council repatriated a ceremonial garment belonging to the Sioux tribe that had ended up in Europe after the Wounded Knee Massacre in 1890.
“Elgin is the only real villain in the film — and the irony is that his own country becomes the hero,” says Wilkinson.
“We showcase governments that resolve repatriation cases, making the British government look increasingly out of touch.”
A chorus of voices and historical revelations
Alongside Brian Cox, the film features members of the British Committee for the Reunification of the Parthenon Marbles — including Janet Suzman, Paul Cartledge, and Victoria Hislop — as well as leading repatriation experts. Their testimonies, combined with Wilkinson’s deep dive into historical records and press archives, reveal that even Elgin himself was far from confident about the legality of his acquisition.
“We cover that thoroughly in the film,” says Wilkinson.
“Many British aristocrats back then looked down on him, seeing him as a looter. It was the golden age of the Grand Tour — the upper classes adored traveling to Greece and felt Elgin had stolen treasures meant to be admired in their original homeland.”
Challenges, closed doors, and unwavering resolve
Yet, despite strong public sentiment, Wilkinson found little financial support among some modern elites — ironically, from a few wealthy Greek shipowners and London’s well-heeled circles, who considered the issue trivial compared to the world’s bigger problems. Instead, it was everyday Greeks who contributed from their modest means to help the project.
The British Museum, too, was not always cooperative. Before George Osborne took over as chair, Wilkinson often found his emails unanswered — so he would show up in person, leaving handwritten notes to make his case. His commitment, however, never wavered. His fascination with Greece began in the 1970s during free public lectures at the British Museum and intensified in 2008 when he started researching the film in earnest, culminating in shooting that began symbolically on March 25, 2021 — Greek Independence Day.
Today, he says, fewer and fewer people believe the Marbles belong in Britain once they know the full story.
“That’s exactly why I made this film,” he says.
“Returning the Marbles is not just a matter of cultural heritage — it’s an issue of basic decency. Even if only ten people saw them at the Acropolis Museum — which is far from true — they still belong there. The British pride themselves on good manners, but holding onto stolen property for over 200 years is not good manners. It’s a disgrace.”
