Oscar? I Hardly Know Her. Lufthansa Loses ‘Mr. Nobody’ Filmmaker’s Oscar Statuette.
German airline Lufthansa misplaced the Oscar statuette belonging to award-winning Russian filmmaker Pavel Talankin after he was forced to check the trophy on a flight from the United States, his co-director said Thursday.
Talankin and American filmmaker David Borenstein won the 2026 Oscar for Best Documentary for “Mr. Nobody Against Putin.” The film, composed of footage Talankin shot and smuggled out of Russia, chronicles the state indoctrination of schoolchildren following the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
According to Borenstein, U.S. Transportation Security Administration agents insisted that Talankin check the gold-plated statuette into the plane’s cargo hold, allegedly claiming the heavy award “could be used as a weapon” in the cabin.
“It never arrived in Frankfurt,” Borenstein wrote in a post on Instagram. Underneath the post, Lufthansa’s official account commented that the airline “will do everything we can to find the Oscar as fast as possible.”
Borenstein expressed indignation over the incident, questioning whether a high-profile Western actor would have faced the same scrutiny as Talankin.
“Would Pavel have been treated the same way if he were a famous actor? Or a fluent English speaker?” he asked in a message directed at the TSA.
Russia has reacted strongly to the success of “Mr. Nobody Against Putin,” banning its distribution for what officials have described as its negative portrayal of the country and designating Talankin as a “foreign agent.”
Update: Lufthansa told Deutsche Welle on Friday afternoon that it found Talankin’s Oscar at the airport in Frankfurt am Main and was working to return it to the filmmaker.
Read more about: Film , Germany , AirlinesSign up for our free weekly newsletter
Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysis and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview Subscribe Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy We sent a confirmation to your email. Please confirm your subscription.A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Once Monthly Annual Continue
Not ready to support today? Remind me later. ×