When a single photograph becomes an icon capable of shaping collective memory, questions about its origin carry a whole new weight. The Stringer: The Man Who Took The Photo, coming soon to Netflix, traces two years of investigation that uncover a story hidden for over half a century: who really took one of the most recognizable images of the Vietnam War? And why was its creator erased?
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The Stringer – all the key details
- Original Title: The Stringer: The Man Who Took the Photo
- Format: Documentary Film
- Duration: approx. 90 minutes (final duration to be confirmed)
- Genre: Investigative Documentary / Historical True Crime
- Country: United States / Vietnam
- Original Language: English
- Director: Bao Nguyen
- Producers / Creators: Fiona Turner, Terri Lichstein
- Executive Producers: Gary Knight, Sue Turley, Grace Lay
- Main Cast (interviewees and investigation protagonists):
- Lê Vân, Fiona Turner, Terri Lichstein, various photojournalists and witnesses connected to the Vietnam War
- Netflix Release Date: November 28, 2025
What The Stringer is About
The documentary starts with an apparently simple question: who really took one of the most famous photos of the 20th century? From there, a layered investigation unfolds, spanning decades of omissions, misattributions, and power dynamics within the world of photojournalism. The premise soon evolves into a story of denied truths, cultural colonialism, ethical responsibility, and delayed justice. Key details remain undisclosed, but it’s clear that The Stringer aims to challenge not only the history of the photo but also the system that made it famous at the expense of its true creator.
The Stringer – why there’s great anticipation
The anticipation for The Stringer grows week by week, because the documentary touches on sensitive issues of our present: the truth behind images, the power of the storyteller, and the silence of those left out of the frame. In recent months, social media has revived the story of the “ghost photographer,” turning it into a viral case and refocusing attention on how a photograph can change the world… but also on who gets forgotten while this happens.
The Stringer – cast and creators
At the helm of The Stringer is Bao Nguyen, a Vietnamese-American filmmaker known for his rigorous and sensitive perspective on memory and identity. Working alongside him are producers Fiona Turner and Terri Lichstein, who lead the investigative reconstruction through archives and testimonies that remained in the shadows for decades.
The project is supported by executive producers Gary Knight, Sue Turley, and Grace Lay, figures connected to international photojournalism. Their expertise—combined with voices of reporters and photographers like Lê Vân—contributes to a collective investigation aiming to restore truth and authorship to an image that defined an era.
Release date on Netflix
The Stringer arrives on Netflix on November 28, 2025.
