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“Let the Weight of the Words Carry the Scene”: DP Bao Nguyen on The Stringer

A black and white still of a camera crew and a military soldier passing behind them.Still from The Stringer.

Nick Ut’s Pulitzer Prize–winning photo The Terror of War, sometimes referred to as “Napalm Girl,” is one of the most recognizable photographs ever taken. The Stringer, directed by Bao Nguyen (The Greatest Night in Pop) and playing the 2025 Sundance Film Festival’s Premires sections, investigates the history of the photograph and contests its authorship.

Nguyen also served as one of three cinematographers on the film, alongside Andrew Yuyi Truong. Below, the three of them answer discuss establishing a consistent visual language and connecting the themes of secrecy and discovery with shadow and light.

See all responses to our annual Sundance cinematographer interviews here.

Filmmaker: How and why did you wind up being the cinematographer of your film? What were the factors and attributes that led to your being hired for this job?

Nguyen: In addition to being the director, I served as one of three cinematographers on The Stringer, working alongside Andrew Yuyi Truong in the US and Ray Lavers in Vietnam. Given the many global locations and the need to capture both expansive settings and intimate moments, I often stepped in as the cinematographer to ensure the visual language remained cohesive. My background in photography and as a cinematographer in the past made me well-suited to navigate these different demands. With my direction, we worked collaboratively to maintain a consistent look and feel throughout the film, and I filled in whenever necessary to ensure the aesthetic aligned with our vision.

Filmmaker: What were your artistic goals on this film, and how did you realize them? How did you want your cinematography to enhance the film’s storytelling and treatment of its characters?

Nguyen: Our primary artistic goal was to create a visual language that mirrored the essence of photography itself—stillness, introspection, and careful observation. The narrative unfolds like a photograph in a darkroom, where each detail emerges slowly and deliberately. We sought to enhance the storytelling by treating each frame as a meticulous composition, inviting the audience to linger on the subtleties of the moment. Also, by avoiding traditional talking-head interviews, we allowed the camera to observe the unguarded moments of our characters, amplifying their humanity and authenticity. The interplay of light and shadow mirrored the tension in the story, underscoring the emotional weight of uncovering hidden truths.

Truong: Keeping the camera as objective as possible and bringing the audience on a “real time” investigative journey was the guiding light for discovering the truth of that image. It’s as if the camera’s POV was that of a journalist, following a journalist, discovering who the real journalist was.

Filmmaker: Were there any specific influences on your cinematography, whether they be other films, visual art, photography, or something else?

Nguyen: The film draws significant inspiration from classics like All the President’s Men, where the camera serves as a quiet observer, capturing the tension and meticulous nature of investigative journalism. I was also influenced by the atmospheric and immersive visual styles of filmmakers like Michael Mann and David Fincher, who excel at creating mood and tension through subtle, precise visuals.

Since the film is heavily driven by conversation, a major focus was finding varied and compelling ways to frame these conversations without being overly stylized. The goal was to let the weight of the words carry the scene while using thoughtful composition and lighting to subtly enhance the emotional undercurrents. This approach allowed the visuals to feel grounded and intimate while keeping the audience engaged in the investigative process.

Filmmaker: What were the biggest challenges posed by production to those goals?

Nguyen: One of the biggest challenges was maintaining a consistent visual style while shooting across varied global locations. The logistics of travel and the unpredictable nature of on-location shooting required a versatile and adaptable setup. Additionally, blending archival footage with the present-day investigation demanded a seamless integration of styles, ensuring the past and present visually complemented each other without disrupting the flow.

Filmmaker: What camera did you shoot on? Why did you choose the camera that you did? What lenses did you use?

Nguyen: We shot primarily on RED Monstro VV and RED Helium cameras for this film. These cameras were chosen for their versatility, compact size and ability to adapt to a variety of shooting environments across global locations. To subtly evoke the 1970s—a pivotal era in the story—we paired the RED cameras with rehoused vintage Minolta Rokkor lenses and Cooke S4i lenses. This combination allowed us to maintain a consistent, textured aesthetic that honored the art of photography, which is central to the film.

Truong: It was important for us to equip ourselves with optics from that same time frame. Those optics helped weaponize photojournalists to unfold the truth of the war, and we wanted to channel that into our process of seeking truth.

Nguyen: Additionally, we used a Nikon R8 and Kodak Super 8 camera for select recreation sequences to visualize the memories of our film’s participants. We shot this footage at 18fps and then adjusted it to 24fps in post-production to create a more dreamlike, impressionistic quality.

Filmmaker: Describe your approach to lighting.

Nguyen: The film was shot almost entirely with natural light to maintain an authentic and organic texture to the story. However, the interplay between light and shadow was a deliberate and essential part of the visual storytelling. Darkness often symbolized secrets being concealed or truths hidden beneath the surface, while moments of light represented revelations and the gradual uncovering of those truths. This contrast allowed us to subtly underscore the emotional weight of the investigation— some scenes feel shrouded and tense, while others feel illuminated as new information comes to light. This natural yet intentional use of light and shadow helped reinforce the film’s themes of secrecy and discovery.

Filmmaker: What was the most difficult scene to realize and why? And how did you do it?

Nguyen: The film contains several emotionally charged and pivotal moments that were particularly challenging to capture. In documentary filmmaking, these moments often happen only once, and it’s crucial to be fully prepared to preserve their authenticity and emotional weight. To navigate these challenges, we used a two-camera setup for much of the film. This approach allowed us to frame the scenes cinematically while maintaining a sense of intimacy with the participants. This setup gave us the flexibility to be both visually intentional yet unobtrusive, ensuring we didn’t compromise the authenticity of these critical moments.

Filmmaker: Finally, describe the finishing of the film. How much of your look was “baked in” versus realized in the DI?

Nguyen: A significant portion of the film’s aesthetic was baked in during production, as we wanted to preserve the authenticity of the captured visuals. However, the DI process was essential in unifying the look across diverse footage, particularly when integrating archival material with present-day sequences. The DI allowed us to refine the interplay of light and shadow, enhancing the film’s emotional tone without losing its naturalistic roots.

Ray Lavers: The LUT used in Vietnam was originally Inspired from the ektachrome film stock. The highlight roll-off was adjusted to retain more detail; greens were darkened and hue shifted cooler for clearer subject separation in vibrant countryside scenes; and mid tone saturation was subtractively boosted to maintain a classic feel across both high and low contrast exteriors.

TECH BOX

Film Title: The Stringer
Camera: RED Monstro VV, RED Helium, Nikon R8, Kodak Super 8
Lenses: Rehoused Minolta Rokkor and Cooke S4i
Color Grading: DaVinci Resolve

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