The Stringer: Documentary’s Controversial Story Explained
## The Iconic ‘Napalm Girl’ Photo Faces New Scrutiny,But Attribution remains Contentious
“Neither the retrospective testimony introduced in the documentary nor the speculative technical reconstructions it relies upon provide a factual basis to overturn the established record,” said Hornstein,who is reviewing all legal options.
Kim Phúc, the nude girl in the famous picture, did not participate in the documentary, but has said in the past that she believes that Ut took the photo-and that her uncle told her so-though she has no memory of the moment when the photograph was taken.
After doing its own inquiry, the AP continues to credit the photo to Ut, arguing there isn’t enough evidence to remove the attribution. It’s open to the possibility that other photographers may have taken the photo, but argues that it’s impossible to know exactly what happened on that road in the village of Trảng Bàng 53 years ago.
World Press Photo also did a forensic investigation and decided to suspend attribution to Ut-though the 1973 “Photo of the year” award has not been revoked.
Nguyen hopes that the film will empower local photographers in conflict zones worldwide, from Gaza to Ukraine, to speak up if they experienced somthing similar to what Nghệ experienced.
“My parents where refugees from Vietnam. When they came over to a new country, they just wanted to take care of their family and survive. They didn’t feel like their experience mattered. And so I hope this helps change the mentality that we have towards individuals and understand why people might hold on and live with thes secrets quietly for so long as they just never felt like they had the chance to speak about it.”
The Stringer gives Nghệ the last word, ending with him sitting outside eating with his daughter and saying, “I was the one who took the photograph. Now I have a voice.”