The Terminal

An Eastern European traveller bound for America finds himself stranded at JFK Airport after a coup erupts in his homeland. He builds a new life within the terminal, amid the bustle, in a comedy starring Tom Hanks and Catherine Zeta‑Jones.

The Terminal is a programme presented as a movie. Its title, The Terminal, identifies it as a feature‑length work, and it falls squarely within the comedy genre. The piece is catalogued simply as a programme, with no further production details supplied. The story follows an Eastern European traveller who is on his way to the United States when a sudden coup erupts in his home country. The political upheaval leaves him unable to continue his journey, and he finds himself stuck at New York’s JFK Airport. Rather than returning home, he decides to make a life for himself within the terminal’s confines, adapting to the terminal’s routines and treating its public spaces as home. The film maintains a light‑hearted tone throughout, positioning itself firmly as a comedy. The humour arises from the protagonist’s attempts to navigate the bureaucracy and daily life of an airport that has become his unintended residence. The setting of JFK Airport provides a constant backdrop for the comedic situations that unfold, and the comedic elements stem from his interactions with airport staff and fellow travellers, highlighting the absurdities of bureaucracy. The cast includes Tom Hanks, who portrays the stranded traveller, and Catherine Zeta‑Jones, who appears alongside him. Both Hanks and Zeta‑Jones are named as the principal performers, underscoring their central roles in the narrative. No further details about other performers or crew are provided.