Melina Mercouri

“Culture is Greece's heavy industry.”

“The first word I learned was 'sea'. The first song I heard was about the sea.”

“Greece is not just a country, it's a state of mind.”

“What did we do to you? For you to hate us so much?”

“You have to understand, these marbles are our pride. They are our sacrifices. They are our noblest symbol of excellence. They are a tribute to democratic philosophy. They are our aspirations and our name. They are the essence of Greekness.”

“There are no ruins in Greece. There are works of art.”

“I hope to see the marbles back in Athens before I die. But if they come back later, I will be reborn.”

“The role of minister is a temporary one. The title of actress I will have for life.”

“An actress is not a machine, but they treat you like a machine. A money machine.”

“For me, cinema is a vice. I love it intimately.”

“If you kill a Greek, you must be careful. They have a strange habit of coming back to life.”

“I was born Greek. I will die Greek. Mr. Pattakos was born a fascist. He will die a fascist.”