After decades of public consensus, the authorship of one of the most iconic photographs of the 20th century— “The Terror of War,” popularly known as “Napalm Girl”—has been called into question. The photo, credited to Associated Press (AP) photographer Nick Ut, depicts a young girl, Kim Phuc, running naked and screaming after a napalm attack in South Vietnam on June 8, 1972. However, a new documentary, The Stringer, presented at the Sundance Film Festival, has ignited debate by asserting that the image was captured by a freelance photographer, Nguyen Thanh Nghe.
Who took the photo?
Nguyen Thanh Nghe, a Vietnamese freelancer, made the claim during the film’s premiere and subsequent Q&A session. Through a translator, he told the audience, “I took the photo,” drawing cheers from attendees. Nghe explained that he had been in the town of Trang Bang that day as a driver for an NBC news crew and had sold the image to the AP for $20. According to Nghe, the AP later provided him with a print of the photo, which his wife eventually destroyed. He did not address why he waited half a century to come forward.
The AP, surprised by the claims, conducted its own investigation. The news agency found no evidence to dispute Nick Ut’s authorship of the Pulitzer Prize-winning photograph. The AP’s investigation involved consulting witnesses, including renowned correspondents Fox Butterfield and Peter Arnett and Kim Phuc herself, all of whom affirmed that Ut was the photographer. The AP also highlighted that the attack and its aftermath were witnessed by multiple journalists from competing organizations, none of whom had ever questioned Ut’s authorship.
AP’s report
Nick Ut, a young staffer in the AP’s Saigon bureau at the time, has long been recognized for capturing the harrowing moment. His photograph became a global symbol of the horrors of war and earned him the Pulitzer Prize in 1973. Ut’s meticulous records, combined with corroborative accounts from witnesses and the subject herself, have upheld the historical record for decades.
The AP expressed disappointment with the filmmakers of The Stringer, stating that they had not been consulted during the documentary’s production. The agency only viewed the film for the first time at Sundance. The AP has called on the filmmakers to release Nghe and other contributors from non-disclosure agreements and to share any visual analysis they conducted.
For its part, the AP reiterated its commitment to the truth. “We cannot state more clearly that The Associated Press is only interested in the facts and a truthful history of this iconic photo,” the agency said in a statement.
The subject of the photo, Kim Phuc, also weighed in, expressing certainty that Nick Ut was the photographer. “He was there, and he saved my life,” she has said in prior interviews, recounting how Ut rushed her to a hospital after taking the photograph.
The film’s co-director, Paul Robinson, responded to questions about the timing of Nghe’s claim during the Sundance premiere. “I didn’t want to die before this story came out,” Robinson said, explaining his efforts to locate Nghe and bring his story to light.
Manbilas Singh is a talented writer and journalist who focuses on the finer details in every story and values integrity above everything. A self-proclaimed sleuth, he strives to expose the fine print behind seemingly mundane activities and aims to uncover the truth that is hidden from the general public. In his time away from work, he is a music aficionado and a nerd who revels in video & board games, books and Formula 1.
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