Old School. Biblically Independent.
By Kayleigh Donaldson | Film | May 1, 2026
Have you ever had the dream where you’re gifted or trusted with something of immeasurable value and then you immediately lose it? I have that nightmare all the damn time. I’m sure there’s a psychological explanation for it but I do not care to be confronted with that kind of energy. So, imagine how you’d feel if you’d won an Oscar and then airport security lost it. You’d have to hold me back from causing a riot.
But that’s what happened to Pavel Talankin, the Russian teacher and star of Mr. Nobody Against Putin. He said that he had his Oscar in his carry-on bag for a flight from John F. Kennedy International Airport to Frankfurt, only to be told that it must be removed from his case because it could be used as a weapon. I mean, yeah, you technically could. Those things are heavy, and it would be one hell of a power move to pummel someone’s face in with an Oscar. But I doubt it’d be covered in your insurance so why risk it? After removing it from his bag and forcing Talankin to check it in, the airline then lost it. Hey, dude, you know how this award signifies both the peak of your artistic career and your brave battle against the Russian government? You’re not that attached to it, are you?
Mercifully, the issue has been solved and Talankin’s Oscar has been located. “The Oscar statue has now been located and is safely in our care in Frankfurt,” Lufthansa Airlines said (via the BBC), adding that they were in direct contact with Talankin to arrange the statue’s return “as quickly as possible”. The documentary’s co-director David Borenstein told the BBC he was relieved the statuette had been found after the “big kerfuffle.” Apparently, TSA just put it in a flimsy cardboard box and thought that would be okay. But they did at least tape it up with some bubble wrap. Problem solved! Maybe an Airtag next time, just in case?
Note to airport security: just let the Oscar winner carry their award onto the plane. If you’re nice about it, they might even let you pose with it!
