Stranded at the Airport

I have already watch “The Terminal” maybe for three times, but I actually did not know behind “The Terminal” a true story. After knowing the real story I found that the film not so much based on a true story as it is inspired by a true story.

The true story was of Merhan Nasseri who lived at Charles DeGaulle Airport from August 1988 to August 2006 as defined through the internet, when he was taken from the terminal because he was an illness. An Iranian political refugee, Nasseri became stuck when his refugee certification documents were stolen from him in France, en route from Belgium to England. Without the papers, he was unable to enter England. Belgium did not permit refugees to return once they had left the country, and France would not allow him to stay because he could not prove his identity. That is the reason why he became stuck at the airport.

Tom Hanks “Viktor Navorski” in the film was a visitor to New York from Eastern Europe. His homeland has witnessed an armed coup, while he was in the air en route to America.

Stranded at Kennedy Airport with a passport from nowhere, he is unauthorized to actually enter the United States and must improvise his days and nights in the terminal's international transit area, until the war at home is over. Vector have lots of skills and popular figure which were made him adapt to live in the airport for nine months, established during this period many friendships and successful relationships. The important one of these relationships was with Catherine Zeta-Jones, as the touch of romance set in the film from the director “Steven Spielberg”, and do not have any presence in the real story of Nasseri. I thought this touch put it in the film to increase intimate scenes or perhaps to increase public demand on the film.

Overall, I liked the movie when I watched for the first time, and I loved it more now when I know it was inspired by the real suffering. Because on the one hand it raised the issue of Nasseri, highlighted and demonstrated to the public. On the other hand it did not address the details of the story, but inspired by the general idea.

The Terminal thought-provoking film which made me wondering how could a person afford to live alone for more than twenty years? And how the human rights organizations accept the role of spectator and be silence about an issue like this?

So as Hollywood’s stars celebrate the premiere of “The Terminal”, the man who inspired it all was preparing yet another night in the terminal's international transit area.

The ending of the film was, of course, a happy one. But “Nasseri” will not head into the sunset with Catherine Zeta-Jones. He many never leave at all.