A new Netflix documentary premiering November 28 promises to shed light on one of photojournalism's most controversial mysteries. "The Stringer: The Man Who Took The Photo," directed by Bao Nguyen and produced by Fiona Turner, investigates the true authorship of the iconic "Napalm Girl" photograph that defined the Vietnam War and changed public perception of the conflict.
The documentary centers on "The Terror of War," better known globally as the "Napalm Girl" image, captured on June 8, 1972. The photograph shows nine-year-old Phan Thị Kim Phúc fleeing a misdropped South Vietnamese napalm strike, her skin burned and her expression of terror etched forever into collective memory. The image won both the Pulitzer Prize and World Press Photo of the Year in 1973, with its authorship remaining virtually unquestioned for half a century.
The film represents an updated version of Nguyen's original documentary "The Stringer," which first screened at Sundance in January 2025. This two-year investigation follows renowned conflict photographer Gary Knight and a small team of journalists as they embark on a quest to trace the real identity of an elusive stringer photographer. The documentary has been edited to reflect responses to shocking revelations about the photograph's true origins.
At the heart of the controversy lies evidence suggesting the famous image may not have been taken by Pulitzer Prize-winning Associated Press photographer Huỳnh Công "Nick" Út, as long believed. Instead, the documentary presents compelling evidence that the photograph was actually captured by Nguyễn Thành Nghệ, a Vietnamese stringer working for the AP in 1972. This claim has created shockwaves throughout the photojournalism community and prompted investigations by both the Associated Press and World Press Photo organization.
The documentary's most intriguing element involves testimony from a former Saigon photo editor who claims to have harbored a secret related to the image for 52 years. This revelation adds another layer of complexity to an already controversial story that has divided photography experts and historians. The film highlights a landscape "rattled by doubt, contradiction, and emotion" as it explores the often-overlooked contributions of local journalists whose work frequently gets buried beneath geopolitical narratives.
Beyond questions of authorship, the documentary also examines long-held beliefs about the camera equipment used to capture the scene. The photograph was originally thought to have been taken with a Leica M2 camera, but recent evidence suggests it may have been shot with a Pentax camera instead. These technical details add another dimension to the ongoing debate about the image's origins.
Regardless of where viewers stand on the authorship question, "The Terror of War" remains one of the most influential photographs ever taken. The image transcended journalism to become a visual shorthand for the human cost of conflict, helping to shape public opinion about the Vietnam War. The documentary provides an opportunity to examine new testimony against decades of established history while reflecting on the broader implications for photojournalism ethics and attribution practices.
"The Stringer: The Man Who Took the Photo" promises to be the closest examination yet of the moment behind the moment that changed everything. As the film arrives on Netflix this week, it offers viewers a chance to weigh evidence and draw their own conclusions about one of photojournalism's most emotionally charged and contested stories.
