Documentary triggered doubts about authorship of famous photography
Documentary The stringerwhich premiered at the Sundance Film Festival this year, has triggered a wave of controversy regarding the authorship of the famous photo of a girl who flee before attacking Napalm. In the documentary, they claim that the author of one of the most recognizable photographic works of the 20th century is not Nick utbut Ngujen thanh nghethen driver for a media house Nbc And a free photographer.
Famous photo titled The Terror of War (Horror of war) shows a nine -year -old girl Phan thi kim phucwho naked naked before attack by Napalm in the Southwestern village of Trang Bang. The recording was published in June 1972 and quickly became a symbol horror of war shaking the world public. The author of the photo was said to be UT, then twenty -one -year -old Vietnamese photographer who worked for an agency Associated Press in Hošiminh. He has received numerous awards for photography, including the prestigious World Press Photo of the Year in 1973.
In a documentary The stringer They claim that he could be the actual author of the « NGHE » NGHE, who, as a freelance photographer, sold his shots Associated Press. According to the creators of the documentary, NGHE was deprived of copyright because he was not regularly employed by the agency.
The center of the famous photo is nine -year -old Phan Thi Kim Phuc (left), until recently we believed that it was taken by Nick UT (in the middle). Photo: Alberto Pizzoli/AFP
The World Press Photo, who awarded Utu in 1973 a photo of the year, conducted his own investigation. Their analysis that included the study of location, distance and camera used, showed that nghe or even a third party candidate could Hujnh Kong Phuc A better starting point for a clip than UT. Nevertheless, the 1973 World Press Photo did not repeal the Authority of Photography. However, they stressed that photography remains undisputed as an important historical document, reports Guardian.
Associated Press also conducted an internal investigation that included forensic analyzes, interviews, and an overview of cameras and preserved negatives from that day. The report concluded that there was enough evidence to change authorship. According to their findings, I could take both UT and NGHE photography. They stressed that the temporal distance, technological limitations and death of key persons make it difficult to confirm the authorship, according to Guardian.
