“Three Thousand Years of Longing” is a 2022 fantasy romance film directed by George Miller, based on the short story “The Djinn in the Nightingale’s Eye” by A.S. Byatt. The film stars Tilda Swinton as Dr. Alithea Binnie, a solitary academic who encounters a Djinn, played by Idris Elba, while attending a conference in Istanbul. The Djinn offers to grant her three wishes in exchange for his freedom. As they engage in a deep conversation, Alithea, being a scholar of mythology and cautious about the consequences of wishes, demands to know his life story first. The Djinn recounts his long history, filled with tales of love, loss, and longing spanning three thousand years. Through these stories, the film explores themes of desire, freedom, and the complexities of human nature, ultimately leading Alithea to make a decision that will change both of their lives forever.
Three Thousand Years of Longing
