Another Oscar win for ‘Mr. Nobody Against Putin’: Filmmaker’s missing statuette located after TSA dispute

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Pavel Talankin, the director of “Mr. Nobody Against Putin,” is getting his Oscar back after it was lost during his travels.

Lufthansa, the European airline, confirmed today that the Oscar statuette for the documentary “Mr. Nobody Against Putin” has been found and is safe. The airline addressed the situation after one of the film’s directors, Dave Borenstein, publicly announced it was missing on social media. The documentary won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature at the 98th Academy Awards in March.

According to Borenstein, Pavel Talankin was traveling home to Europe from New York’s JFK Airport with his Oscar statuette as a carry-on. Airport security stopped him, worried the Oscar could be used as a weapon. Despite the film’s executive producer intervening, the TSA ended up placing the Oscar in a box and storing it with the plane’s cargo because Talankin didn’t have a checked bag. Borenstein shared a picture of the box, and Deadline published a video showing airport staff wrapping the Oscar in bubble wrap and tape.

Awards

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Borenstein ended his post by saying the Oscar never made it to Frankfurt, Germany, and wondered if his co-director was treated unfairly. He questioned whether Pavel would have received better treatment if he were a well-known actor or spoke English fluently. He shared his concerns on Instagram, tagging the Transportation Security Administration, Lufthansa, and asking for their help.

Lufthansa responded to a post about a lost Oscar statuette, stating they were treating the situation with the utmost seriousness. Just a day later, a spokesperson for the airline said they were working directly with the owner to ensure its swift and safe return.

We’re truly sorry for the trouble this caused and have already apologized to the owner, the spokesperson said.

Borenstein shared the news on Instagram with a clip from his BBC interview, expressing gratitude to a Lufthansa representative and his followers for their support in getting the word out.

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I just finished watching “Mr. Nobody Against Putin,” and it’s a really compelling documentary. It follows a schoolteacher named Talankin, living near the Ural Mountains, who’s been quietly documenting how the Russian government tries to influence kids with propaganda – everything from patriotic songs to chants, all geared towards building support for the war in Ukraine. What struck me most was that during the Oscars ceremony in March, Talankin actually delivered a powerful message in Russian, and it really highlighted the bravery of speaking out against the current regime.

He pleaded for an end to all current conflicts, saying, “Let’s end these wars now, for the sake of our future and our children.” He spoke through a translator.

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2026-05-01 22:01