The elusive Oscar statuette has a history of going missing from high-stakes burglaries to simple misplacement. The latest "missing person" in the Academy’s history was a trophy belonging to Pavel Talankin, co-director of the acclaimed documentary Mr. Nobody Against Putin.
Talankin’s Oscar went missing after Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officials at New York’s JFK Airport refused to let him carry it onto a Lufthansa flight to Germany. Agents reportedly claimed the 8.5lb gilded trophy posed a security risk and could be used as a "weapon."
The airline has now confirmed the statuette was located in Frankfurt. "We sincerely regret the inconvenience and have apologized to the owner," a Lufthansa representative said, adding that an internal review is underway.
The Airport Standoff
Talankin, who documented Russia’s propaganda machine, was baffled by the TSA's decision. He noted he had flown with the award many times without issue. On Wednesday, despite an offer from a Lufthansa agent to hold the trophy in the cockpit, TSA agents insisted it be checked into the plane’s cargo hold.
Lacking a hard suitcase, Talankin was forced to use a cardboard box provided by the airline. He filmed the process as agents bubble-wrapped and tagged the box. However, when he landed in Frankfurt, the box was nowhere to be found.
David Borenstein, the film’s co-director, questioned the treatment on social media: "Would Pavel have been treated the same way if he were a famous actor or a fluent English speaker?"
A Legacy of Lost Gold
Talankin is far from the only winner to lose track of his gold. Over the years, several Hollywood stars have faced similar mishaps:
Colleen Atwood: Three of her Oscars melted or were charred beyond recognition during the Los Angeles wildfires last year.
Jared Leto: The Dallas Buyers Club star lost his 2014 Oscar during a move; it remained missing for six years before resurfacing in 2024.
Matt Damon: His Good Will Hunting trophy vanished following a flood in his New York apartment.
Whoopi Goldberg: Her Ghost Oscar was stolen from a shipping box in 2002 while being sent for cleaning. It was later found in a rubbish bin at a California airport.
The 2000 Heist: In one of the most famous cases, 52 statuettes were stolen from a loading dock in California. A junk dealer eventually found them in a dumpster behind a laundromat.
For Talankin, who lives in exile after a Russian court banned his film and the recovery of the trophy is a rare bit of good news. His film, which won a BAFTA before its Oscar success, remains a controversial target for the Kremlin for its stance on the war in Ukraine.
