Lufthansa Loses Oscar Statuette of Pavel Talankin

Photo: Reuters Oscar-winning filmmaker Pavel Talankin lost his Academy Award after U.S. airport security forced him to check the prized statuette into an aircraft’s hold, BBC reports. The director, who won Best Feature Documentary for his film Mr Nobody Against Putin, was traveling from New York’s John F Kennedy International Airport to Germany on Wednesday. He initially packed the golden trophy in his hand luggage but TSA staff intervened, ruling the heavy award could be used as a weapon. Lufthansa airline staff then packed the statuette into a secure box. Upon arrival in Germany, the award was missing. Lufthansa has since conducted an internal search. The statuette weighs 8.5lb (3.9kg), stands 13.5 inches (34cm) tall, and costs between $400 and $1,000 to manufacture. Talankin frequently travels with the trophy to share his success. Mr Nobody Against Putin chronicles the escalation of state war propaganda in a Russian school after the 2022 Ukraine invasion. The Russian government banned the documentary from three streaming platforms, accusing it of propagating terrorism and extremism. Pavel Talankin now lives in exile in Europe.