Pavel Talankin, the co-director of the Academy Award-winning documentary 'Mr Nobody Against Putin', experienced a troubling incident at New York's John F. Kennedy Airport when TSA agents confiscated his Oscar statuette, citing security concerns. Talankin, who has previously traveled with the 8.5-pound trophy without issue, was baffled by the decision, stating, "It’s completely baffling how they consider an Oscar a weapon." On Wednesday morning, TSA agents informed him that he could not carry the statuette on board and insisted he check it. An airline representative from Lufthansa offered to help, but TSA refused to compromise. Talankin ended up placing the Oscar in a cardboard box provided by the airline, but upon arriving in Frankfurt, Germany, he discovered that the statuette was missing. Robin Hessman, an executive producer of the film, confirmed that Lufthansa could not locate the box, despite Talankin having a ticket number for it. The incident has sparked discussions about whether a more famous individual might have received different treatment. Talankin, who now lives in exile after fleeing Russia, has faced challenges due to the film's controversial content, which critiques the Russian government and the war in Ukraine.