Russian filmmaker loses Oscar on Lufthansa flight

Russian filmmaker Pavel Talankin has lost his Oscar statuette after it went missing during a Lufthansa flight from New York to Frankfurt, according to NOS News on Friday.

The Academy Award was won in March for the documentary ‘Mr. Nobody Against Putin,’ in which Talankin is both the protagonist and co-director.

The documentary’s other co-director David Borenstein said on social media that he was not aware of any previous case of an Oscar being checked in as luggage, adding that efforts were underway to trace the missing award.

Security at JFK International Airport in New York reportedly raised concerns over the 34-centimeter, nearly 4-kilogram statuette, which was treated as a potential security risk and placed in checked baggage.

The Oscar was packed in a cardboard box with bubble wrap and tape after Talankin reportedly did not have suitable luggage, with Lufthansa staff assisting in preparing it for transport.

Talankin said he had previously travelled with the award several times without incident and without needing to check it in.

Lufthansa said it regretted the situation.

The company added that its team was “handling the matter with great care and urgency” and that a thorough internal investigation was under way to ensure the Oscar is found and returned as soon as possible.