The Stringer: Uncovering Truths, Rewriting History
Premiering at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival, The Stringer is a groundbreaking documentary directed by Bao Nguyen and produced by The VII Foundation in partnership with XRM Media. With over 250 reviews and media stories, it has become one of the most discussed films in Sundance history.
The film follows a whistleblower’s revelation that launches a two-year journalistic investigation led by Gary Knight and a team of award-winning reporters, uncovering a decades-old scandal involving the authorship of one of the Vietnam War’s most iconic images — the “napalm girl” photograph. At its core, The Stringer is an urgent and reflective critique of the systemic exploitation of freelance and local journalists, especially in conflict zones.
The investigation challenges long-held narratives, forcing the journalism industry to reckon with questions of authorship, journalistic ethics, and racial injustice. As Bao Nguyen explains in his director’s statement, the film underscores the enduring presence of marginalized voices, asserting that they were never silent — only ignored.
“The truth cannot be twisted, or torn apart,” says a legendary Vietnamese journalist interviewed in the film. “Because if so, it’s no longer the truth and we will have lost our moral compass.”
The Stringer is a story that many in the profession did not want told. But it is a vital reckoning with history — one that exemplifies the role of journalism not just as the first draft of history, but also as its necessary second draft.
With reporting by Fiona Turner, Terri Lichstein, Lê Vân, and Gary Knight, and cinematography by Andrew Yuyi Truong, Bao Nguyen, and Ray Lavers, the film stands as both an investigative achievement and a cinematic milestone.
Read more and explore the full project here:
The Stringer – The VII Foundation
More on The Stringer in the press: