Pavel Talankin, co-director and featured subject of the Academy Award-winning documentary Mr. Nobody Against Putin, says the film’s Oscar statuette went missing after he was required to check it during travel from New York to Europe.
According to Talankin, he was departing from John F. Kennedy International Airport on Wednesday when security officials allegedly denied his request to bring the trophy onboard as carry-on luggage. He said the award was placed inside a small box and loaded into checked baggage. Upon arrival in Frankfurt, Talankin reported that the statuette was no longer in his belongings and remains unaccounted for.
Co-director David Borenstein shared details of the incident on Instagram, posting images that appeared to show Talankin carrying the Oscar before departure, the box used to store it, and a baggage claim receipt after arrival. In the post, Borenstein appealed to Lufthansa for assistance and questioned whether Talankin received unequal treatment, asking if the same decision would have been made for a more prominent traveler or a fluent English speaker.
Representatives for the Transportation Security Administration and Lufthansa had not publicly commented on the claims at the time of reporting.
The filmmakers said the statuette had previously been transported as hand luggage without issue. Talankin reportedly carried it back to Europe following the Academy Awards ceremony in March and later returned with it to the United States. U.S. distributor Kino Lorber told trade media that both Talankin and Borenstein had consistently traveled with the award as carry-on baggage since the ceremony.
Mr. Nobody Against Putin documents Talankin’s efforts as a primary school teacher in Russia’s Ural region to record what the filmmakers describe as state-driven nationalist messaging directed at schoolchildren in support of the war in Ukraine. The film includes covert footage reportedly filmed by Talankin in his role as school videographer and later transferred to collaborators abroad. Talankin left Russia for Europe in 2024.
The documentary was considered one of this year’s surprise winners, taking the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature. During the acceptance speech, Borenstein said the film’s themes were relevant to countries facing pressure on democratic institutions.
