Born in 1945 in Iran, Mehran Karimi Nasseri became one of the most famous airport residents in history. In the 1980s, legal and bureaucratic issues left him stranded at Paris’ Charles de Gaulle Airport, unable to enter France or return to his home country due to missing identification.
Nasseri spent 18 years living in the airport terminal, forming friendships with airport staff, studying economics, and documenting his experiences. He even wrote a memoir, “The Terminal Man,” which later inspired Steven Spielberg’s 2004 film, The Terminal.
Despite the challenges, Nasseri’s story captured the world’s imagination, highlighting resilience, adaptation, and human perseverance in extraordinary circumstances. He passed away in 2022, leaving behind a legacy that blurs the line between reality and the cinematic stories he inspired.