A new animation film project by Boo Productions and backed by the Greek Film Centre is taking the controversial history behind the Parthenon Sculptures to the big screen.
Mentor, by Angelos Rouvas, endeavours to narrate the little-known events behind the removal of the Parthenon Sculptures by Lord Elgin.
Set during the Turkish-occupation in AD1801, 24-year-old Benjamin Keat, a Philhellenic British traveller, reacts violently to Lord Elgin’s decision to remove the sculptures from the Parthenon temple.
But Keat’s negative sentiment towards Elgin sees him forced to return to Britain with the privately-owned ship Mentor, which happens to already be carrying a large number of crates with sculptures.
During the return trip, the young man is hit with a true revelation, and it is by far his last.
The film’s release will coincide with the completion of 200 years (1816-2016) since the Parthenon Marbles were sold and illegally re-housed in the British Museum.
Divided into three parts, the creators of the 25-minute animation hope to spread the film’s message to as many people as they can across the globe, namely through international film festivals.
Production is expected to commence in May this year, with a release date set for December.