Iranian who inspired ‘The Terminal’ film dies at Paris airport

Iranian who inspired ‘The Terminal’ film dies at Paris airport

He died of natural causes at Terminal F, where he recently returned to live.

Mehran Karimi Nasseri was stranded at Paris-Charles de Gaulle airport in 1988 as he did not have proper documentation. (Wikimedia Commons pic)
ISTANBUL:
An Iranian man whose 18 years at a French airport inspired Steven Spielberg’s movie ‘The Terminal’, died yesterday, according to media reports.

“(Mehran Karimi) Nasseri was pronounced dead by the airport medical team at Terminal 2F and had died of natural causes,” Anadolu Agency citing CNN reported yesterday, citing a spokesperson for the Paris-Charles de Gaulle airport.

Nasseri, reportedly born in 1945 to an Iranian-British family, was trapped at Paris Charles de Gaulle airport’s international ‘no man’s land’ in 1988 as he did not have proper documentation.

Nicknamed Sir Alfred, he lived at the airport until 2006 when he was hospitalised. After being discharged from the hospital, he was housed in a Paris shelter from 2008, according to reports.

He had been living at the airport again in recent weeks until his death at midday yesterday, the reports added, noting that Nasseri always kept his luggage by his side, reading, and taking notes in his diary during his time at the airport.

Nasseri’s situation inspired Steven Spielberg’s 2004 film ‘The Terminal’ starring Tom Hanks as Viktor Navorski, an Eastern European man stuck at a New York airport as a military coup in his native country prevents him from returning.

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