Netflix THE STRINGER - NAPALM GIRL authorship

[CameraQuest]

Netflix recently released the documentary THE STRINGER discussing the authorship of NAPALM GIRL, one the most unforgettable images of war.

THE STRINGER goes beyond that question to look at what it means to be a photographer,
and the responsibilities of media services, in this instance the AP.

 

[Trask]

I look forward to watching it -- thanks for the tip!

 

[boojum]

I watched it a week or so ago. It left me moved but not convinced.

 

[Ccoppola82]

I watched it. It seems like a plausible scenario. The entire time I kept thinking “who cares who took it.” This wasn’t a work of art that was well thought out and meticulously planned. It was a document of an incredibly tragic and traumatic event for a group of people. One in particular. Gaining fame and fortune from this sort of work seems exploitative to me. I mean, I kept looking at this poor little girls skin melted off while grown men deliberate and argue who captured her suffering most effectively. Don’t get me wrong, it’s important for documentation and history, but human beings are not safari animals that exist to photograph with the intention of fame.

 

[FIegiso]

There are images from the American War in Vietnam that are still vividly burned into my memory. Napalm Girl, the Saigon Execution, the evacuation from the roof of the Pittman Building, ...

Terrible yes, but these things happened and the images (remember those days - no internet) were important to show the absolute horror and chaos. They impacted the American public's opinion in powerful ways.

Knowing who the photographer was or is doesn't change my viewing one lick. I do however believe in credit where credit is due. I've read the entire AP report also and it draws a different conclusion than the film.

 

[Out to Lunch]

I've read the entire AP report also and it draws a different conclusion than the film.

The final AP report is an adequate reputational risk mitigation job. The AP's lawyers and public relations staff must have been doing double overtime.

 

[boojum]

The final AP report is an adequate reputational risk mitigation job. The AP's lawyers and public relations staff must have been doing double overtime.

This may be true. But the story is a Tar Baby. Touch it and it is stuck to you.