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The Stringer: Netflix Documentary Challenges the History of the Iconic ‘Napalm girl’ Photo
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A new documentary now streaming on Netflix, The Stringer: The Man Who Took the Photo, is sparking debate and raising unsettling questions about the authorship of one of the most recognizable images of the Vietnam War – the photograph known as “the Terror of War.” the film, already the subject of an in-depth review by PetaPixel and discussion on their podcast, presents a compelling case that Nick Ut, long credited with capturing the Pulitzer Prize-winning image, may not have been the photographer behind the lens.
The documentary, produced by the VII Foundation, centers on the investigation led by photographer Gary Knight to uncover the true identity of the photographer. The search ultimately focuses on Nguyen nghe, a now-ailing former freelance photographer, whose story is corroborated by accounts from a local Vietnamese journalist and a former Associated Press (AP) editor, Carl Robinson. According to thes sources, Ut was not the one who pressed the shutter that day, fundamentally altering the accepted narrative surrounding this pivotal moment in history.
A Legacy Questioned: Horst Faas and the Exploitation of Local Photographers
Beyond the question of authorship of “The Terror of War,” The Stringer also alleges a pattern of professional misconduct by photojournalism legend Horst Faas. knight claims, based on facts from Faas’s friend and fellow war photographer Tim Page, that Faas routinely took credit for the work of local Vietnamese photographers. Faas, a Pulitzer Prize winner and recipient of numerous World Press Photo awards, is accused of leveraging his position and influence to advance his career at the expense of his Vietnamese colleagues.
Lost Evidence and a Wife’s Disbelief
The challenge in definitively proving Nghe’s claim is compounded by a heartbreaking personal story. Nghe recounts receiving a copy of the photograph, along with $20, from AP after the image was published. He brought the photo home, displaying it on his refrigerator, but his wife, questioning the image’s disturbing content, reportedly threw it away. This act, he says, destroyed the only tangible proof of his authorship, leading to a subsequent divorce.
Competing Claims on the Ground in Trang Bang
The film asserts that Nghe was the most accomplished photographer present in Trang Bang on the day of the napalm attack. though, this claim is complex by the presence of other well-known photographers, including Nick Ut, a staff photographer for AP, and david Burnett, who worked for Time magazine and Newsweek. Additionally, military photographers and television film crews were also documenting the events that day, creating a complex photographic record.
the Systemic Erasure of Vietnamese Contributions
A central theme of The Stringer is the “benign” exploitation of Vietnamese stringers and photographers during the Vietnam War. Knight highlights a system of power imbalances and priviledge that often resulted in the erasure of local contributions. A especially poignant interview features Tran Van Than, Nghe’s brother-in-law and a cameraman for NBC, who confirms knowing that Nghe took the photograph and Ut did not. Van Than explains his silence at the time, stating simply, “Nobody would care.”
This documentary serves as
