Central Scotland Documentary Festival: THE MARBLES

The Central Scotland Documentary Festival (CSDF) has selected the explosive new film, THE MARBLES, for its World Premiere and Opening Night Gala on Thursday, October 30th, 2025. This year’s five-day celebration of real stories and radical voices will open with this provocative and timely topic, diving into the ongoing debate surrounding the Parthenon Marbles. Details for other showings can be found on www.macrobertsartscentre.org/cs-doc-fest Note: Tickets for the CSDF Opening Night can be purchased directly via the Macrobert Arts Centre website.

About the Documentary: THE MARBLES

Directed by David Nicholas Wilkinson, The Marbles takes an in-depth and critical look at the long-standing controversy surrounding the Parthenon Marbles (often referred, wrongly, to as the Elgin Marbles). This is more than just a history lesson; it is a film that directly confronts the complex question of artefact repatriation, asking how former colonial powers should reconcile with unethical acts of the past. It highlights Scotland’s unique role in this debate—a highly relevant point for our community here in Glasgow and Scotland.

It explores the long-standing debate over the Parthenon Marbles, taken by Lord Elgin in the early 19th century and now housed in the British Museum. While Greece argues they were illegally removed and are central to its national identity, the Museum maintains their legal acquisition and global context in London.

Despite numerous requests for their return, the British Museum cannot comply with Greek demands, as the British Museums Act 1963 prevents it from doing so, forbidding their removal from London WC2 without a change in the law. With both sides holding firm to the impasse of their positions, the debate remains unresolved.

The film traces the campaign for repatriation, beginning with Melina Mercouri in 1983, and highlights Scotland’s pioneering role in returning contested artefacts. Filmed from March 25, 2021 - the 200th anniversary of Greek independence - the documentary examines both sides of the debate, revealing the tensions between historical justice, cultural heritage and legal constraints.

The film features notable participants, including acclaimed actor Brian Cox and representatives from the Greek government, underscoring the international importance of this work. The premiere screening will be followed by a Director Q&A session, offering a vital opportunity for discussion.

Event Details

This is the world premiere and a chance for the Hellenic diaspora to demonstrate strong support for this timely and important documentary.

• Documentary: THE MARBLES (World Premiere)

• Date: Thursday, October 30th, 2025

• Time: Please check the Macrobert Arts Centre website for the specific evening screening time (tickets usually go on sale in August).

• Location: Macrobert Arts Centre, Stirling (Home of the Central Scotland Documentary Festival)

 

A Call to Action: Your Presence Matters

The cause of reunifying the Parthenon Marbles is central to the identity and heritage of Greeks worldwide. By attending this World Premiere in strong numbers, the Scotland Greek community can send a clear message: that we support the film’s message and the ongoing campaign for the return of our cultural treasures. It would be great if your families and friends travel to Stirling on October 30th and make this opening night a resounding success. You will enjoy and support first hand Greece's heritage.

History

The name of Elgin will forever be associated with a collection of Greek sculptures and other artefacts taken from the Parthenon Temple in Athens by Lord Elgin circa 1801-1805. Ever since they were removed from Greece to Britain there has been controversy surrounding them and never more so than today. Whereas Lord Elgin, a Scottish diplomat, parliamentarian and Ambassador to the Ottoman Turkish Empire, was hoping to further Britain’s appreciation and appetite for exhibiting global classical art works, it is more likely that he wanted to garner kudos for himself by transporting these monuments to his home in Scotland. However, the argument for sending the Marbles back to Greece, where they rightfully belong, continues to rage on.

Back in the 19th century all kinds of damage was done to the ruins on the Acropolis, following wars and looting and the acquiring of old stones to fashion into new architecture. Lord Elgin obviously saw his chances and in the position of Ambassador appointed artists and draughtsmen to make drawings of certain artefacts, the hope being that the UK government would give him permission and money to import them to Britain. When they refused, he decided to ship them himself. The art works were eventually bought by the British Museum for £35,000, although they had cost Elgin £75,000 to acquire and transport them.

However, there has always been some doubt about whether Elgin ever received permission to take some fifteen metopes (architectural plaques), friezes, pediments, columns and caryatids, etc, because the original document of permission, a firman, has never materialised. This puts Elgin on the same level as the Nazi war criminals who systematically stole art and cultural objects from Jewish and other families in World War II in order to amass a collection for Hitler’s own museum. Despite decades of action against keeping the Parthenon Marbles, the British government have always refused to surrender them back to their rightful owners – the people of Greece.

David Wilkinson’s very fair but enquiring film adds more flames to fire up the campaign for returning the Marbles. However, he does it in a measured way by talking to all kinds of people who feel strongly that nowadays Britain has no need to prove its interest in global culture, as it has always been recognised as an artistic hub which visitors from home and abroad continue to support. What is more is that many other countries around the world – including Scotland – have all returned cultural items acquired over the centuries.

When you have very experienced commentators as witnessed here, surely the day will come when Greece gets back what they have lost. There are many examples in Wilkinson’s documentary of other museums and galleries returning artefacts to their rightful owners. Patricia Allan, formerly the Curator of World Cultures at Glasgow Museums, researched international repatriation of ancestral remains, indigenous cultures, and heritage. Tristram Besterman is a retired director of Manchester Museum who developed ethical standards for cultural restitution. Neil Curtis of the University of Aberdeen has been involved in repatriations to Canada and elsewhere. Alexander Herman has written a book on The Parthenon Marbles Dispute. Mark Stephens is a lawyer who has worked on the Marbles case for some fourteen years as well as Nazi-looted art claims. Perhaps most outstanding is the actress Janet Suzman who chairs the British Committee for the Reunification of the Parthenon Marbles and has worked tirelessly to gain public opinion on the side of returning them. These and many other notable contributors to Wilkinson’s excellent film ought to be able to persuade the British government to show some compassion and let Greece have back their rightful heritage. Would they do the same if the United Kingdom were to suffer cultural losses due to art theft? Think on...