Mehran Karimi Nasseri: The death of the Iranian man who lived in Paris airport for 18 years and who inspired the movie “The Terminal”

For nearly two decades, Iranian Mehran Karimi Nasseri has made Roissy Charles de Gaulle Airport his home.

On this Saturday, the 77-year-old was found dead at the same air terminal.

This Iranian trapped in a diplomatic stalemate, settled in 1988 in a small area of ​​the main Paris airport where he lived 18 years.

His experience inspired the 2004 movie station (“station“), Starring Tom Hanks.

Ultimately, Nasseri was granted the right to live in France, but ended up returning to the airport a few weeks ago, where he died of natural causes, an airport employee told AFP.

Mehran Karimi Nasseri was born in 1945 in Khuzestan Province, Iran.

The guy first flew to Europe in search of his mother.

He spent several years in Belgium, after being expelled from countries such as the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Germany for not having the correct immigration documents.

Then he went to France where He made Terminal 2F of the airport his home.

Sitting on his chair surrounded by carts containing his collected possessions, he spent his days writing about his life in a notebook and reading books and newspapers.

His story attracted international media attention and that of film director Steven Spielberg, who directed The Terminal starring Hanks and Catherine Zeta-Jones.

After the movie’s premiere, reporters flocked to speak with the man who inspired the Hollywood movie.

Nazry, who called himself “Sir Alfred”, gave up to six interviews a day, according to the newspaper Lou Parisian.

despite of Granting refugee status and the right to remain in France In 1999, he continued to live at the airport until 2006, when he was taken to the hospital for treatment of illness.

He then spent time in a hostel with the money he earned from the film, the French newspaper reported. Release.

An airport employee said Nasseri returned to the airport just weeks ago, where he lived until his death.

He added that he was found with several thousand euros in his possession.

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