Russian filmmaker Pavel "Pasha" Talankin will soon be reunited with his Oscar statuette for the documentary Mr. Nobody Against Putin after it went missing during a flight from New York to Germany. Lufthansa Airlines confirmed Friday that the statuette has been located and is "safely in our care" in Frankfurt. The airline is working to return it to Talankin as quickly as possible.
The statuette was confiscated by TSA agents at John F. Kennedy International Airport on Wednesday when Talankin attempted to carry it on board as a carry-on item. Agents reportedly cited concerns that the eight-pound golden statuette could be used as a weapon. Talankin, who does not speak fluent English, was assisted by his co-director Dave Borenstein and executive producer Robin Hessman during the incident. The Oscar was bubble-wrapped, placed in a cardboard box, and sent to the cargo hold of the plane. However, it did not arrive in Frankfurt with Talankin.
Lufthansa has since launched a "comprehensive internal search" for the missing Oscar. The airline expressed regret over the situation and assured Talankin that the matter is being treated with "the utmost care and urgency." Talankin’s representative, Vitaly Ataev Troshin, confirmed that the filmmaker has been in contact with the airline to arrange the return of the statuette.
This is not the first time an Oscar has gone missing. In 2023, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences quietly stepped in to replace statuettes belonging to Colleen Atwood and Rick Carter after they were destroyed in a fire. Talankin, who has traveled with the Oscar and his BAFTA award multiple times without issue, questioned whether he would have faced the same treatment if he were a famous actor or fluent English speaker.