A documentary Oscar that was confiscated by TSA agents is now being returned to its owner.
The 2025 documentary, Mr. Nobody Against Putin, gained both widespread attention and sparked considerable debate, becoming one of the year’s biggest and most talked-about films.
The film, directed by David Borenstein and Pavel Talankin, explores Talankin’s experiences as a teacher while also examining Vladimir Putin’s attempts to shape public understanding of the war in Ukraine.
The film first debuted at the Sundance Film Festival, earned $1 million globally, and later won the Academy Award for Best Documentary in 2026. However, the Oscar statue has recently been lost.
Missing documentary Oscar is being returned to owner
Co-director Borenstein shared on Instagram that the Oscar for their film, Mr. Nobody Against Putin, is missing. The award was given this year, and Pavel Talankin, Borenstein’s co-director and the film’s main subject, is the one who received it.
He landed at JFK yesterday, excited to return home to Europe with his Oscar. However, a TSA agent stopped him, explaining she considered the Oscar a potential weapon and wouldn’t allow it on the plane. Despite our executive producer, Robin, attempting to explain the situation, the agent wouldn’t budge.
Pavel didn’t have a checked bag, so airport security placed the Oscar in a box and loaded it onto the plane’s cargo hold. Unfortunately, it never made it to Frankfurt.
Borenstein requested that Lufthansa locate and return the lost Oscar, and it seems they’ve succeeded. Lufthansa told Entertainment Weekly that the statue is now secure in Frankfurt and they’re working directly with the owner to return it quickly. They apologized for the trouble caused.
Lufthansa stated that protecting passengers’ belongings is a top priority, and they are currently reviewing what happened to understand the situation better.
A representative for Talankin confirmed to Entertainment Weekly that the Oscar is either already being shipped or will be sent on the next available flight. They anticipate receiving more details soon and that the award will be delivered directly to Pavel.
I just finished watching “Mr. Nobody Against Putin” – you can find it on Kino Film. If you’re looking for other good documentaries to check out, I found a list of the best ones streaming right now, and you can find it here.
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2026-05-05 13:20