New film, ‘Promakhos,’ makes case for return of Parthenon Marbles

Two lawyers fight for the return of the Parthenon Marbles from the British Museum to Greece in a film produced by Greek-American brothers Coerte and John Voorhees, due to open at theaters on Thursday, November 27.

The brothers were in the Greek capital last week to promote “Promakhos,” which they have also written and directed, and spoke to the press about the project and what they hope it can achieve. John and Coerte are the sons of a US-based lawyer who has been an active campaigner for the return of the Parthenon Marbles to Athens. Coerte studied history and classics at Georgetown University. “Promakhos” is their first film.

Inspired by the statue of Athena Promachos, protector of the Parthenon in antiquity, they tell the fictional tale of two Athenian attorneys (played by Pantelis Kodogiannis and Kassandra Voyagis) handling a suit against the British Museum for the return of the ancient sculptures removed from the citadel by Lord Elgin in the early 1800s. The film stars Giancarlo Giannini, Paul Freeman and Michael Byrne, as well as Greek actors Georges Corraface, Yorgo Vogiatzis, Pygmalion Dadakaridis, Irene Katsarou and Kelly Eleftheriou, among others.

The film is being shown in Greece under the aegis of the Ministry of Culture and has also drawn the support of the Alliance for Athens initiative, the Acropolis Museum, the Greek-British, Greek-German, Greek-Spanish and Greek-Italian chambers of commerce, as well as the groups “Return, Restore, Restart,” “Bring Them Back,” “Marbles Reunited” and “International Association for the Reunification of the Pantheon Sculptures.”

“Promakhos” was first shown at an exclusive screening in London in July attended by important figures in the arts and letters, including award-winning actor and Marbles...