Mehran Karimi Nasseri, the man whose extraordinary life inspired Steven Spielberg’s 2004 film The Terminal, has died at Charles de Gaulle Airport, the very place that became both his home and his legend. He was 77. Airport officials confirmed that Nasseri suffered a heart attack in Terminal 2F on Saturday and could not be revived by emergency services. His death marks the end of one of the most unusual human stories of the modern age — one that blurred the lines between exile, bureaucracy, and belonging.
He eventually left the airport in 2006 for a hospital visit and then moved into a home. Director Steven Spielberg turned his story into the 2004 film, which earned Nasseri enough money to move into a hotel.Airport officials told Le Parisien newspaper that, since his return to the airport, he could often be seen with his possessions in an airport trolley. He barely spoke and would stare into the distance. Airport workers used a white cloth to cover the spot where he would sit following his death.
