Oscar-winning director Pavel Talankin has revealed that his Academy Award statuette has gone missing after he was compelled to place it in the hold of an aircraft during a flight. Talankin, a Russian teacher and documentary filmmaker, secured the prestigious award for his film Mr Nobody Against Putin, which won Best Feature Documentary at this year's ceremony. However, just a few months later, the trophy has disappeared following an incident at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York.
The Incident at JFK
According to Talankin, when he arrived for his flight on Wednesday, Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officials informed him that he could not bring the Oscar onboard as a carry-on item, citing its potential use as a weapon. The director, who had traveled with the statuette in his cabin luggage more than a dozen times since his March win, was told: 'You have to check it under the plane.' Without his own packaging, the Oscar was placed into a cardboard box provided by Lufthansa. Upon landing in Frankfurt, Germany, the statuette was nowhere to be found.
Reactions and Appeals
Robin Hessman, executive producer of the documentary, attempted to assist Talankin via speakerphone during the incident at JFK, as he does not speak fluent English. She remarked, 'This wouldn't have happened to Leonardo DiCaprio.' Talankin often travels with the award to showcase it at events and screenings; during his New York visit, he had handed it around to university students at a Q&A session.
Lufthansa issued a statement expressing regret: 'We deeply regret this situation. 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.' Talankin's co-director, David Borenstein, also appealed for help on social media, posting on Instagram: 'I’ve looked and I can’t find a single other case of someone being forced to check an Oscar. Would Pavel have been treated the same way if he were a famous actor? Or a fluent English speaker?'
Historical Context of Missing Oscars
While this may be the first recorded instance of an Oscar going missing on a flight, several Academy Awards have disappeared over the years. In 2007, Matt Damon revealed that his Oscar for writing Good Will Hunting with Ben Affleck vanished from his New York apartment after a flood caused by a sprinkler. Damon speculated that it might have been stored away or taken during cleanup. Conversely, Frances McDormand's Oscar for Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri went missing during the Governors Ball after-party in 2018 but was recovered after a photographer spotted someone taking it. Charges were filed against Terry Bryant, who claimed innocence, but they were later dismissed.
