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Oscar statuette goes missing after airport security incident
Russian documentary filmmaker Pavel Talankin reported his Academy Award missing after airport security at New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport forced him to check the statuette, which later vanished during his flight to Germany.
What happened at the airport
Talankin, co-director and subject of the Oscar-winning documentary Mr Nobody Against Putin, was stopped by U.S. Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers on Wednesday. They told him the 13.5-inch (34 cm), 8.5-pound (3.9 kg) statuette could be used as a weapon, barring it from his carry-on luggage.
With no checked baggage, Lufthansa staff assisted in packing the award into a box for the flight. However, upon landing in Germany, Talankin discovered the Oscar was gone.
Airlines and authorities respond
Lufthansa acknowledged the incident in a statement, expressing regret and confirming an internal investigation. "Our team is treating this matter with the utmost care and urgency," the airline said, adding that a "comprehensive internal search" is underway to recover the statuette.
The BBC has reached out to both the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and the TSA for comment but has not yet received a response.
Filmmaker's history with the award
Talankin, now living in exile in Europe after fleeing Russia, frequently travels with his Oscar to screenings and events. His documentary, which exposes wartime propaganda in Russian schools following the 2022 Ukraine invasion, has been banned in Russia as "extremist."
Executive producer Robin Hessman, who assisted Talankin during the airport encounter via speakerphone, noted he had previously flown with both his Oscar and a BAFTA without issue. "This wouldn't have happened to Leonardo DiCaprio," she told the BBC.
Documentary's controversial reception
Mr Nobody Against Putin documents Talankin's experience as a teacher in a Russian school where pro-war indoctrination intensified after the invasion. The film won Best Feature Documentary at this year's Academy Awards but has been blocked on three streaming platforms in Russia for allegedly promoting "extremism and terrorism."
The statuette, valued between $400 and $1,000 to produce, was last seen being wrapped in bubble wrap and taped by Lufthansa staff, according to video reviewed by the BBC.
