THREE THOUSAND YEARS OF LONGING is a visually stunning fantasy romance based on A.S. Byatt’s short story “The Djinn in the Nightingale’s Eye.” The film follows Dr. Alithea Binnie (Tilda Swinton), a solitary British narratologist attending a conference in Istanbul. Alithea, a scholar of stories who values reason over emotion, purchases an ancient glass bottle at a bazaar. While cleaning it, she accidentally releases a Djinn (Idris Elba), a powerful, immortal being bound to grant her three wishes.

The Djinn, desperate for freedom after millennia of imprisonment, shares tales of his past to persuade Alithea to make her wishes. Through lush, fantastical flashbacks, we see his adventures across history: his love for the Queen of Sheba, betrayed by King Solomon; his entrapment by a jealous lover; and his service to a genius in the Ottoman Empire. Each story reveals the Djinn’s longing for connection and freedom, contrasting with Alithea’s guarded, independent life.

Skeptical of wishes due to her knowledge of cautionary tales, Alithea hesitates, fearing unintended consequences. As she and the Djinn bond, their conversations explore love, storytelling, and the human condition. Alithea, moved by the Djinn’s vulnerability, eventually wishes for mutual love, bringing them closer but complicating their realities. The modern world, with its technology and pollution, weakens the Djinn, forcing Alithea to confront the limits of her desires.

THREE THOUSAND YEARS OF LONGING was released on August 26, 2022.