Missing Oscar Statuette Found After Airline Mishap

A missing Academy Award statuette belonging to Russian director Pavel Talankin has been located by Lufthansa, the airline confirmed. The statuette went missing after Talankin was required to check it into the cargo hold during a flight from New York to Frankfurt.

Incident Details

On Wednesday, Talankin was prevented from carrying the Oscar statuette as carry-on luggage by Transportation Security Administration (TSA) agents at John F. Kennedy Airport in New York. The agents determined the gold-plated statuette could be used as a weapon and required it to be placed in checked luggage.

Talankin did not have a carry-on bag, so the statuette was placed in a cardboard box and loaded into the cargo hold. Upon arrival in Frankfurt, Germany, on Thursday, the statuette was missing.

Recovery

"The Oscar has been found and is safely in our care in Frankfurt."

Lufthansa confirmed that the Oscar has been found and is safely in their care in Frankfurt. The airline stated it is in direct contact with Talankin to arrange the return of the statuette. Lufthansa apologized for the inconvenience and stated an internal review is ongoing.

Statements

Co-director David Borenstein posted about the incident on Instagram, describing the events and questioning whether Talankin was treated differently due to his lesser fame or language skills. Borenstein stated that a TSA agent deemed the Oscar a potential weapon and would not allow it as carry-on.

Talankin told Deadline he had flown over a dozen times with the Oscar in carry-on without issue. Talankin's representative Vitaly Ataev Troshin confirmed contact with the airline and stated Talankin arrived safely in Prague.

Background

"Mr Nobody Against Putin" is a documentary filmed at a school in a Russian mining town, depicting propaganda used to justify the invasion of Ukraine. Talankin went into exile, and Russia banned the film, labeling it extremism and terrorism.

Response

TSA did not respond to a request for comment. Lufthansa stated they are taking steps to prevent recurrence.