In the M-Net line-up this month (screened at 11h00 on March 27), The Terminal is a drama romance starring Tom Hanks, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Stanley Tucci and Chi McBride. Directed by Steven Spielberg, it’s about an Eastern European man who gets stuck in a New York airport when his small country changes hands, effectively making him a stateless man.

Viktor Navorski is travelling to New York when his Eastern European country, Krakozhia, suddenly changes hands, effectively stranding the poor man, who can hardly speak a word of English, in the JFK Airport terminal. The airport manager, Dixon, reluctantly allows Viktor free reign of the airport, on condition he doesn’t go into the city.

As the days turn into weeks and then months, Viktor settles in, building a bedroom of sorts for himself at gate 67 and doing things for people in exchange for basic things like food. He also makes friends with the various characters who work at the airport, including a pretty stewardess who doesn’t have time for men. Viktor becomes something of a fixture around the place, and except for the airport manager who seems bent on making his life a misery, he is loved by all.