War photographer Nick Ut sues Netflix

Samuel Buchmann

3.3.2026

Translation: machine translated

The Netflix documentary "The Stringer" casts doubt on the authorship of a famous war photo. Now the photographer concerned is suing the streaming service for defamation.

Photojournalist Nick Ut has filed a criminal complaint in France against Netflix and the VII Foundation for defamation. This is reported by the industry magazine «PetaPixel». The reason for the lawsuit is the documentary «The Stringer». It doubts Ut's authorship of the world-famous war photo «The Terror of War» and attributes it to a previously unknown freelancer.

With the lawsuit in France, the conflict shifts from the public debate to the courtroom. Ut accuses Netflix France and the VII Foundation of portraying him as a «shameless liar» who has built his career on a «stolen» image. His lawyers argue that the combination of investigative framing and dramaturgical escalation in «The Stringer» permanently destroys Ut's reputation, integrity and humanitarian legacy.

France was chosen as the place of jurisdiction on the one hand because parts of the film were produced there, the documentary is available in French and the VII Foundation has a branch in the south of the country. On the other hand, French criminal law allows an affected person to summon the alleged perpetrators before a criminal court without a preliminary investigation. Ut is demanding 100,000 euros in damages and 20,000 euros to cover his legal costs.

Film provoked strong reactions

«The Terror of War» was made in 1972 and shows the then nine-year-old Phan Thi Kim Phuc naked and screaming on a street. The image came to symbolise the cruelty of the Vietnam War, earning Ut the Pulitzer Prize and the World Press Photo Award and launching his career as a successful photographer. For over five decades, his authorship was undisputed.

«The Stringer» has been available on Netflix since November 2025 and paints a different picture. Former AP picture editor Carl Robinson claims that his boss Horst Faas instructed him to change the authorship in 1972. The real author is a freelancer named Nguyen Thanh Nghe. Forensic analyses and a 3D reconstruction are said to prove that Ut was not in the right position at the time the picture was taken. In addition, the image was taken with a Pentax camera rather than Ut's Leica.

Reactions to the film were already fierce after its premiere at the Sundance Festival in January 2025. The AP news agency had the case investigated internally. The analysis came to the conclusion that there were indications but not sufficient evidence to deny Ut authorship. AP therefore continues to adhere to it. World Press Photo suspended the authorship, however, and does not currently attribute it to anyone.

The film was widely criticised in the industry for its one-sided argumentation, not allowing key contemporary witnesses to have their say and relying on emotionalised staging. Several of the people involved have since passed away and are therefore unable to provide a rebuttal. As part of a solidarity campaign, hundreds of photojournalists have sent an open letter to World Press Photo demanding the restoration of Nick Ut's authorship.

Samuel Buchmann

Senior Editor

Samuel.Buchmann@digitecgalaxus.ch

My fingerprint often changes so drastically that my MacBook doesn't recognise it anymore. The reason? If I'm not clinging to a monitor or camera, I'm probably clinging to a rockface by the tips of my fingers.

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