Pavel Talankin, co-director and subject of the Academy Award-winning documentary 'Mr. Nobody Against Putin,' lost his Oscar statuette after TSA at New York's JFK Airport forced him to check it as a potential weapon. The award vanished upon his arrival in Frankfurt on a Lufthansa flight. Co-director David Borenstein has publicly appealed for its return.
Pavel Talankin, also known as Pasha Talankin, arrived at JFK Airport's Terminal 1 on Wednesday carrying his Oscar for best documentary feature, which the film won earlier this year. A TSA agent declared the 8.5-pound statuette a possible weapon and refused to allow it as carry-on luggage. Talankin told Deadline from Frankfurt that he had flown with the Oscar a dozen times previously without issue on various airlines, always keeping it in the cabin. Lufthansa staff offered alternatives, such as escorting it to the gate or storing it in the cockpit, but TSA rejected them, directing that it be checked in a cardboard box provided by the airline after bubble-wrapping it with a baggage tag issued to Talankin. Talankin had no checked bag of his own and used help from executive producer Robin Hessman to communicate with agents. Upon landing in Frankfurt on Thursday morning, the box containing the Oscar was missing, according to Hessman and Talankin. Hessman said Lufthansa could not locate it despite the ticket number. In an Instagram post, co-director David Borenstein described the incident, noting Talankin's arrival ready to fly home to Europe and the failed attempt to reason with the TSA agent. Borenstein questioned whether a famous actor or fluent English speaker would have faced the same treatment, adding, “I’ve looked and I can’t find a single other case of someone being forced to check an Oscar.” The post drew comments decrying the situation and urging Lufthansa to replace the statuette. Sources indicate that living Oscar winners can request replacements in cases of loss or severe damage. Variety and Deadline have sought comment from Lufthansa and TSA.
