The Stringer, which premiered at Sundance, alleges that an incorrect credit was given for iconic ‘Napalm Girl’ picture

A controversial new documentary that premiered at the Sundance film festival on Saturday night disputes the authorship of one of the most famous press photographs ever taken, challenging 50-plus years of accepted history.

In The Stringer, directed by Bao Nguyen, a group of journalists and investigators claim that the photograph colloquially known as Napalm Girl – an indelible image of American war in Vietnam that galvanized the anti-war movement in the US – was not taken by Nick Ut, the Associated Press staff photographer long ascribed credit by the news group.