Stranger than fiction — the true story behind the movie The Terminal

A Syrian refugee who lived at a Malaysian airport for seven months was recently granted asylum in Canada. But before the story of Hassan al Kontar hit the headlines, there was an epic story about a man stranded at an airport for almost two decades.

Suited businessmen and holidaymakers bustled through Charles De Gaulle airport’s terminal one, barely noticing the figure curled up on a red plastic bench. Picking up last minute gifts or killing time in a coffee shop, they were on their way somewhere else, perhaps heading home.

Home for Merhan Karimi Nasseri was a small corner of the international transit zone. He lived there for an unbelievable 18 years and was the inspiration for Steven Spielberg’s blockbuster The Terminal.

Unlike the movie, though, Merhan’s tale is not a saccharine sweet tale of triumph against all odds.

In the film version, Viktor Navorski (Tom Hanks) is an Eastern European forced to take up residence at a New York airport as his homeland has undergone a coup and ceases to exist. He quickly finds comrades to rely on, gets a job and falls in love with an air hostess (Catherine Zeta Jones).

Reality was a lot different for Iranian-born Merhan, who preferred the nickname Sir Alfred. He became mentally fragile over…