ZDF/Arte
A documentary Oscar that was confiscated by TSA agents is now being returned to its owner.
Mr. Nobody Against Putin was one of the most successful documentaries of 2025, as well as being one of the year’s most controversial films.
Co-directed by David Borenstein and Pavel Talankin, the movie revolves around the latter’s work as a school teacher, alongside Vladimir Putin’s efforts to control the narrative of the Russo-Ukranian war.
The movie premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, grossed $1 million worldwide, and won the ‘Best Documentary‘ Oscar at the 2026 Academy Awards. But that statue recently went missing.
Missing documentary Oscar is being returned to owner
Instagram/David Borenstein
Co-director Borenstein explained the situation on Instagram, writing: “An Oscar is missing… Pavel Talankin is my co-director and the protagonist of Mr. Nobody Against Putin, which won the Academy Award this year.
“Yesterday he arrived at JFK ready to fly home to Europe, carrying the Oscar as a carry-on… At the airport, a TSA agent stopped him and said the Oscar could be used as a weapon. She wouldn’t let him carry it on board. Our EP Robin got on the phone and tried to reason with her. It didn’t work.
“Pavel didn’t have a bag to check it in, so the TSA put the Oscar in a box and sent it to the bottom of the plane… It never arrived in Frankfurt.”
Borenstein then asked that Lufthansa find and return the award, which now appears to be in the process of happening, with the airline telling Entertainment Weekly: “We can confirm that the Oscar statue has now been located and is safely in our care in Frankfurt. We are in direct contact with the guest to arrange its personal return as quickly as possible. We sincerely regret the inconvenience caused and have apologized to the owner.”
Best movies on Apple TV+
Oscar winners don’t completely own their trophies & the Academy has sued for them
Lufthansa added: “The careful and secure handling of our guests’ belongings is of the utmost importance to us. An internal review of the circumstances is ongoing.”
While a rep for Talankin told EW that the Oscar “is either already in transit or will be dispatched on an upcoming flight. We expect updated information shortly, and it should be delivered directly to Pavel.”
Mr. Nobody Against Putin is available on Kino Film, while you can head here for our list of the best documentaries to stream this month.
