Oscar-Winning Director Loses Trophy at Airport

0:00On April 30th, Pawel Tulankin, co-director of the Oscar-winning documentary, Mr. Nobody Against Putin, lost his Academy Award Statute at New York's John F. Kennedy Airport. TSA agents confiscated the heavy 8.5-pound trophy on Wednesday morning, claiming it could be used as a weapon and forced him to check it. As baggage for his Lufthansa flight to Frankfurt, Tulankin had flown with the Oscar in the cabin several times before without any issues across multiple airlines. Lufthansa's staff even offered to escort him to the gate and hold on to it during the flight, but TSA refused and insisted he pack it in a cardboard box. With bubble wrap for the cargo hold, producers on the film expressed shock and frustration. Executive producer Robin Hesman said Tulankin called from Frankfurt, saying Lufthansa couldn't locate the box despite having a ticket number. Co-director David Boranstein questioned if a fluent English speaker or famous actor would face the same treatment. The documentary exposes Russia's propaganda efforts in schools, earning international

1:01praise. In his acceptance speech, Tulankin called for an end to wars, urging peace for future generations amid bombs and drones. Lufthansa is now searching for the missing Oscar, but as of now, it's still gone, leaving Tulankin without his hard-won prize.