The film is adapted from a real story. In 1989, the Iranian exile Mean Karimi Nasseri got off the plane at the first terminal of Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris, France. However, since there were no refugee documents, the French authorities agreed to stay at the airport. But he was not allowed to leave the terminal building. Although Naseri received refugee documents in 1996 and was free to leave, he still did not want to leave.
For the pilots, airport staff, fast food merchants, and millions of passengers who traveled around the world through the terminal, Nasiri has become a postmodern icon. Nasiri’s story inspired Steven Si Pierberg’s creative passion, he bought the right to adapt the legendary experience of Nasiri. But Nasiri's story only inspired Spielberg, and the film is not about his story.
