The Terminal True Story: Every Change The Film Makes
Though the film veers with the specifics, Steven Spielberg's "The Terminal" draws inspiration from the actual account of an Iranian refugee imprisoned at an airport. Tom Hanks plays Viktor Navorski, a man from an Eastern European country who gets caught at John F. Kennedy Airport following a military takeover in his own country. His passport expires, so he spends months stuck at the airport.
The Real-Life Inspired Source: Mehran Karimi Nasseri
The life of Mehran Karimi Nasseri holds the actual basis of "The Terminal". Living in the terminal 1 departure lounge at Paris's Charles De Gaulle Airport, this Iranian refugee spent an incredible eighteen years. His unusual residence made him rather famous. Further insight into the actual narrative behind "The Terminal Man" (co-written by British author Andrew Donkin) comes from Nasseri's 2004 autobiography.
Story of Mehran Karimi Nasseri
Nasseri moved to the United Kingdom at the age of 28, although claiming to have been born in Iran. Starting his three-year course in Yugoslav studies at the University of Bradford, his visit in the UK started in 1973. He claimed to have been kicked out of Iran in 1977 for staging anti-government demonstrations against the Shah.
According to Nasseri, Savak was tortured by Iran's intelligence service and subsequently granted refugee status by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Belgium. This let him flee into other parts of Europe. He insisted that his briefcase containing his paperwork was taken during a 1988 travel between France and the UK. Not able to get where he was going, he ended up living at the terminal.
Declared "Sir Alfred," Nasseri became a local hero for Parisians.
errors in "The Terminal"
Though it takes major artistic license, "The Terminal" draws from Nasseri's life. The film does not show Nasseri starting in Iran. Although Viktor Navorski is shown to come from a nation with political unrest like Iran, there is no indication of his political activity.
Viktor doesn't misplace his paperwork unlike Nasseri. Rather, the Customs Department takes his passport since the US government regards his native country as not a sovereign nation. Viktor's dilemma stems only from the timing of his American flight, which falls during the military takeover in his native country.
Controversy Regarding Claims Made by Mehran Karimi Nasseri
Against Nasseri's assertions, media sources have offered other theories for his circumstances in Paris, so complicating the real narrative behind "The Terminal."
contradictory narratives
London-based filmmaker Paul Berczeller, confirmed with sources in Iran, detailed 2004 profile in The Guardian revealed Nasseri had taken part in a student strike at Tehran University in 1970. This walk-out was in opposition to a new university policy. Like expected under Iran's totalitarian government, Savak questioned every student engaged, including Nasseri. After a few hours, the problem was fixed; neither Nasseri's passport nor deportation was taken action upon.
According to Nasseri's book, some suspected he lied about missing his paperwork. According to the theory, he sent his paperwork to Belgium from a ferry heading to the UK. According the New York Times, Nasseri arrived in London as scheduled in 1988. He was returned to France though, unable to show his immigration officials his passport.
Nasseri failed once more at the French airport to prove his refugee status or present passport. Although Nasseri was clearly imprisoned in Paris, the cause of his missing documentation is yet unknown.
Names and locations changed
According to the New York Times, Steven Spielberg bought the rights to Mehran Karimi Nasseri's story while he was still living at the Paris airport. Unlike some Spielberg biopics, "The Terminal" deviates from a factual approach, though. The movie substitutes the fictional character Viktor Navorski for Nasseri, and it moves the scene from Paris's Charles de Gaulle Airport to John F. Kennedy Airport.
Actors like Catherine Zeta-Jones, Stanley Tucci, Diego Luna, and Zoe Saldaña represent totally fictional supporting characters. Although Nasseri's book describes the unusual friendships he developed with airport employees, the movie doesn't have any real-life analogues.
Krakozhia: An imagined nation motivated by reality
Although the actual narrative behind "The Terminal" starts in Iran, the movie introduces the fictional nation of Krakozhia. Krakozhia is obviously influenced by the Eastern Bloc states of the Soviet Union, as other fictional nations in movies. Krakozhia's military conflict may especially reflect the conflict in Czechoslovakia, the landlocked European state that subsequently broke apart under continuous internal strife.
Viktor Navorski speaks in his native Krakozhian in Russian and Bulgarian-like manner. Since this guidebook is also written in Russian, a scene involving an English guide for Krakozhians emphasizes even more the Russian influence.
Missing Element: Christian Bourget's Influence
The legal advice given to Mehran Karimi Nasseri by French human rights attorney Christian Bourget is conspicuously absent from the actual narrative in "The Terminal." Nasseri's memoirs help to clarify their erratic working relationship. Bourget tried to find Nasseri legal refuge, but his attempts never turned out since he was resolved to remain just in the UK under his preferred name, "Sir Alfred Mehran."
In 1995, Belgium even offered Nasseri refuge under supervision under a social worker; he turned down this offer since he was still dedicated to getting to the UK. The autobiography of Nasseri gently describes how this rejection annoyed Bourget.
The Real "Terminal Man" Spending eighteen years
In "The Terminal," Viktor leaves the airport nine months later as the war in Krakozhia ends by that point. Actually, Nasseri lived in Terminal 1 of Charles de Gaulle for eighteen years, from 1988 until 2006. According to GQ, his daily schedule consisted in smoking his golden pipe, dining at McDonald's (usually offered by strangers), journal writing, and radio listening.
His favourite spot on the first floor of the terminal was a red bench. Tom Hanks's character brilliantly captures his fast food consumption and curious exploration of the airport.
The last years of Mehran Karimi Nasseri
After 18 years of living in Terminal 1, Mehran Karimi Nasseri was taken from Charles De Gaulle Airport in July 2006 (Associated Press). Though his medical conditions were never stated, he was hospitalized in Paris. One year later, Nasseri received lodging in a French homeless shelter. He kept residing in such shelters until 2022, then went back to Charles de Gaulle.
A few weeks after his return, Nasseri died on November 12, 2022, after suffering a heart attack. At the age of around 76 or 77 years old, the man whose true story inspired "The Terminal" passed away in the airport's Terminal 2F.
Why Were the Changes Appropriate?
The Guardian reported that Steven Spielberg purchased the rights to Mehran Karimi Nasseri's life story before making the film, only to decide to rewrite it as an original story. While many criticize movies claiming to be "based on true stories" for inaccuracies, Spielberg was wise to use only select elements from Nasseri's story for "The Terminal."
The premise itself is captivating, with the idea of a man trapped in an airport presenting numerous intriguing possibilities. However, the movie Spielberg envisioned and the story of Nasseri's life were two distinct entities. "The Terminal" tells the tale of a charming and endearing character who makes the most of his predicament, builds a unique life, and forges friendships while stuck in this unusual situation.
Regardless of whether the accusations against Nasseri are true, they add complexity to the story. The notion that he may have fabricated the reason for his departure and orchestrated his predicament at the airport could be explored in a film, but it would be a different kind of movie. While "The Terminal" may not be among the most impressive Spielberg and Hanks films, it's a fun comedy-drama that tells its own story, a story likely impossible to conceive without Nasseri's experiences.
