Russian director Pavel Talankin, co-director and protagonist of the Oscar-winning documentary “Mr. Nobody Against Putin,” recently faced an distressing ordeal when his coveted Oscar statuette went missing. The award, which he had received earlier this year for best documentary feature, disappeared after a security official at New York’s John F. Kennedy (JFK) Airport prevented him from taking it on board a Lufthansa flight to Frankfurt, Germany.

The incident unfolded on a Wednesday as Talankin was preparing to fly home to Europe, carrying his Oscar as a carry-on item. According to his co-director David Borenstein, a Transportation Security Administration (TSA) agent stopped Talankin, asserting that the statuette could potentially be used as a weapon. Despite efforts by Robin Hessman, one of the film’s executive producers, to appeal to the agent, the decision to prohibit the Oscar from the aircraft cabin stood.

Since Talankin did not have a suitable bag for checked luggage, the TSA placed the Oscar into a cardboard box and sent it to the plane’s cargo hold. However, upon his arrival in Frankfurt, the precious statuette was nowhere to be found, causing significant concern. Borenstein publicly recounted the incident on Instagram, raising questions about the unique treatment: “I’ve looked and I can’t find a single other case of someone being forced to check an Oscar. Would Pavel have been treated the same way if he were a famous actor? Or a fluent English speaker?”

Fortunately, the situation had a positive resolution. A spokesperson for airline Lufthansa confirmed on Friday that the missing Oscar statuette had been located. Lufthansa issued a statement, saying, “The Oscar statue has now been located and is safely in our care in Frankfurt.” The airline added that they were in direct contact with Talankin to facilitate its return “as quickly as possible,” expressing sincere regret for the inconvenience caused, apologizing to the owner, and affirming that an internal review of the circumstances was underway, emphasizing their commitment to the careful and secure handling of guests’ belongings.