An Academy Award winner faced a setback at a New York airport when he was prohibited from carrying his Oscar in his carry-on due to security concerns. Pavel Talankin, the recipient of the Oscar for his documentary ‘Mr Nobody Against Putin,’ had to check his golden statuette before a flight to Germany. Despite having traveled with his Oscar and Bafta multiple times without any issues, Pavel, 35, was stopped by airport security at John F Kennedy International Airport. The security staff deemed the award a potential weapon and transferred it to the plane’s hold in a cardboard box. Unfortunately, upon landing in Germany, the Oscar was missing.

His colleague, Robin Hessman, the executive producer of the BBC documentary, assisted Talankin in communicating with the TSA as his English proficiency was limited. Expressing disappointment, David Borenstein, the co-director, shared the incident on Instagram, questioning whether a famous actor would have faced a similar situation. Lufthansa airlines, who aided in packing the award, assured that they were diligently searching for the missing Oscar.

Standing at 13.5 inches tall and weighing 8.5 pounds, an Academy Award costs around £740 to manufacture. ‘Mr Nobody Against Putin’ sheds light on a man documenting war propaganda in a Russian school post the Ukraine invasion. Talankin, now living in exile in Europe, exposed the grim reality of the war’s impact on children through his film, which has been banned in Russia. Despite facing challenges, Talankin remains committed to his cause, aiming to reach and impact his audience, even if it means watching his work from afar.