Oscar Winner's Award Lost After Airport Security Incident
Academy Award winner Pavel Talankin was compelled to check his golden statuette for his documentary Mr Nobody Against Putin at a New York airport, and the award has since gone missing.
Talankin reported that he had the Academy Award in his carry-on bag for a flight to Germany on Wednesday, but airport security at John F Kennedy International Airport stopped him, citing concerns that the award could be used as a weapon.
However, upon arrival in Germany, Talankin discovered that the Oscar was missing.
Airline Response and Search Efforts
Lufthansa airlines, which assisted Talankin by packing the award into a box for the flight since he did not have a checked bag, stated that their team is addressing the incident with "care and urgency" and is conducting a "comprehensive internal search" to locate the statuette.
"We deeply regret this situation," the airline said in a statement. "Our team is treating this matter with the utmost care and urgency, and we are conducting a comprehensive internal search to ensure the Oscar is found and returned as quickly as possible."
The BBC has reached out to the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences as well as the US Transportation Security Administration (TSA), responsible for airport security and the decision to prevent Talankin from carrying the Oscar in his hand luggage.
Language Barrier and Past Travel Experience
Robin Hessman, the producer of the BBC documentary, explained that she was on speakerphone with Talankin and TSA at the airport to assist, as Talankin is not fluent in English.
She told the BBC that Talankin had flown multiple times with his Oscar and his Bafta, both awarded this year, across the United States and internationally without any prior issues bringing the Oscar onboard.
"This wouldn't have happened to Leonardo DiCaprio," she said.
Talankin's Frequent Travel with the Award
Talankin, who co-directed and is the protagonist of the Best Feature Documentary winner, often travels with the award to present it at events and screenings.
During this particular trip in New York, he shared the Oscar with an audience of students at a university during a Q&A session following a screening of the documentary.
Packing of the Oscar for Flight
The BBC has reviewed video footage showing Lufthansa staff using tape and bubble wrap to secure the Oscar inside a box for the flight.
Details About the Oscar Statuette
An Academy Award measures 13.5 inches (34 cm) in height and weighs 8.5 pounds (3.9 kg). The statuette reportedly costs between $400 and $1,000 to produce.
About the Documentary and Talankin's Background
Mr Nobody Against Putin is a documentary Talankin created, which documents the escalation of war propaganda in a Russian school where he worked, following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
For his safety, Talankin is now exiled from Russia and resides elsewhere in Europe.
Russia has banned the documentary from three streaming platforms, citing that it "propagates extremism and terrorism."
