The director published photos documenting the process of wrapping the award inside the airport “Security officers asked Talankin to place the award in checked luggage”

Controversy has once again surrounded the Oscars following an unusual incident involving one of its statuettes. Director David Bornstein, co-director of the Oscar-winning documentary “Mr. Nobody Against Putin,” revealed that the Oscar statuette belonging to Russian co-director Pavel Talankin went missing during a flight from New York to Germany.

According to Bornstein, Talankin was traveling from John F. Kennedy International Airport to Frankfurt on a Lufthansa flight when he was subjected to an unexpected security measure by the U.S. Transportation Security Administration (TSA), which considered the 3.8 kg statuette a “potential security threat.”

Bornstein added that security officers asked Talankin to place the award in checked luggage, as there was no suitable carry-on bag available. The statuette was then packed into a box and sent to the aircraft’s cargo hold, but the surprise came when the box never arrived in Frankfurt.

The director published photos documenting the award’s packaging at the airport, confirming that the shipment “completely disappeared” and never reached Germany, sparking confusion and calls for explanations.

Lufthansa, for its part, said it is treating the matter seriously. A company spokesperson expressed deep regret and said that internal investigations have been launched to track the award and ensure its return as soon as possible.

In a later comment to media outlets, Talankin expressed his confusion over the classification of an Oscar as a potential weapon, noting that he had previously traveled with it in the cabin without any issues.

The missing award continues to raise questions as investigations remain ongoing among the involved parties.