Lost Oscar to be returned after TSA says trophy could be a weapon
Lost Oscar to be returned after TSA says trophy could be a weapon
Anthony Robledo, USA TODAYFri, May 1, 2026 at 8:35 PM UTC
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An Oscar statuette confiscated by airport security will be returned to its owner, Russian educator Pavel Talankin, after TSA staff determined the trophy was a safety risk.
The best documentary feature category winner, who took home his first Academy Award in March for his film "Mr Nobody Against Putin," tried to bring his trophy home to Europe but was stopped at John F. Kennedy Airport in New York City.
In an April 30 Instagram post, the film's co-director, David Borenstein, revealed Talakin's trophy had been lost, writing that a "TSA agent stopped him and said the Oscar could be used as a weapon. She wouldn’t let him carry it on board." He explained that Pavel didn’t have a checked bag where we could put the Oscar, so the TSA agent placed the trophy in a box and sent it to the bottom of the plane.
"It never arrived in Frankfurt," Borenstein wrote in the post. "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?"
Pavel Talankin attends the 2026 Vanity Fair Oscar Party at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art on March 15, 2026, in Los Angeles.
Lufthansa Airlines replied to the post saying: "Oh no! An Oscar missing - we hear you, and we're here to help." The airline has since confirmed that the trophy has since been located and is in its possession in Frankfurt, Germany. The airline apologized for the inconvenience.
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"The Oscar has indeed been found and will be returned to Mr. Talankin," the airline told USA TODAY on Friday, May 1.
Borenstein confirmed that the issue has been resolved on his Friday Instagram story, sharing a Lufthansa representative's message that read: "We have located the Oscar! We have already contacted his owner to arrange the handover, so his prize will soon be back where it belongs."
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"We hope to return the Oscar as quickly as possible and can bring this to a happy conclusion for everyone involved soon. Should you have the chance to point him to our message, we would be very grateful – we want to make sure that he receives the good news as soon as possible," read the message sent by a Lufthansa staffer named Linda.
"Thank you Linda," Borenstein wrote on his Instagram story.
Talankin and Borenstein's "Mr. Nobody Against Putin," which won against four other nominees at the March 15 ceremony in Los Angeles, tackles Russian propaganda used to justify the invasion of Ukraine by following a school in a Russian mining town.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Lost Oscar to be returned after TSA says trophy could be a weapon
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
