The 'AFP Filter' Exposed: 5 Reasons CCP Military Parades Are Compared To Nazi Propaganda

As of December 2025, the long-standing controversy surrounding Western photojournalism's depiction of Chinese state events remains a hot-button issue, specifically the viral claim that Agence France-Presse (AFP) "captured the CCP's military parade with Nazi violence." This sensational headline points to a deeper, more complex debate about photographic aesthetics, political messaging, and the global interpretation of state power projection. The core of the issue lies in a series of high-contrast, low-saturation images—often attributed to AFP photographers—that critics argue intentionally evoke the chilling, disciplined spectacle of 1930s Nazi Germany, particularly the visual language perfected by filmmaker Leni Riefenstahl. This article dissects the visual and historical elements that fuel this explosive comparison, examining how specific photographic choices, the inherent choreography of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) parade, and historical parallels converge to create a powerful, albeit controversial, aesthetic that resonates with the concept of "Nazi violence" and "totalitarian sublime."

The Photographer Behind the Lens: Fred Dufour's Profile

The controversial images that sparked the "AFP Filter" debate are often linked to the work of Agence France-Presse (AFP) photographers covering major Chinese military parades in Beijing, such as the massive 2015 Victory Day event where Chinese leader Xi Jinping presided. One of the most prominent AFP photoreporters covering China is Fred Dufour.

• Born: 1975
• Nationality: French
• Affiliation: Agence France-Presse (AFP)
• Role: Photoreporter, primarily based in Paris and covering global events, including extensive work in Asia.
• Style/Specialization: Dufour is known for his work in contemporary photojournalism, often employing a powerful, dramatic style. He has been noted for his specialization in black and white Street Photography and a "dreamlike photography" art style in some of his non-journalistic work.
• Context of Work: As a photoreporter for a major international news agency, Dufour’s work is intended to capture the raw, unvarnished reality of events, often utilizing high-contrast lighting and dramatic angles to convey the atmosphere and scale of a scene, a style that inadvertently became the center of the "AFP Filter" debate.

While AFP employs many photographers, Dufour's work, along with the overall aesthetic favored by the agency's editors, became the archetype for the "gloomy" Western portrayal of China that Chinese netizens criticize.

5 Visual Elements That Sparked the 'Nazi Violence' Comparison

The comparison of CCP military parades to Nazi propaganda is not merely a political jab; it is rooted in a striking convergence of visual and choreographic elements. The AFP photographs, through their specific editorial choices, amplify these parallels, creating a powerful, unsettling narrative that speaks to the nature of authoritarian spectacle.

1. The Goose-Step: From Prussia to Tiananmen

The most immediate and chilling parallel is the goose-step, or "Stechschritt." This highly stylized, rigid, straight-legged marching technique is a signature of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) parades. * Historical Origin: The goose-step originated in 18th-century Prussia as a way to ensure troops maintained perfect order. * Authoritarian Adoption: It was famously adopted by Nazi Germany and has since been a staple of military parades in modern authoritarian states, including Russia, North Korea, and China. * The Aesthetic of Uniformity: The gait’s unnatural, mechanical precision strips the individual soldier of personality, transforming the military unit into a single, unstoppable, monolithic entity—a visual motif central to the projection of absolute state power and mass obedience.

2. The 'AFP Filter': High-Contrast, Low-Saturation

The specific photographic style employed by AFP and other Western agencies is what Chinese netizens ironically dubbed the "AFP Filter." This technique dramatically enhances the perceived severity and coldness of the scene. * Low-Saturation/Desaturation: By reducing the vibrancy of colors, the images lose the celebratory, patriotic warmth often seen in state-run media (like Xinhua) and instead take on a somber, industrial, or even monochromatic feel. * High-Contrast: The aggressive use of contrast creates deep, inky shadows and stark, bright highlights. This technique dramatically sculpts the faces of the marching soldiers, emphasizing their stern, unyielding expressions and turning the landscape of Tiananmen Square into a dramatic, almost dystopian stage. * Dramatic Angles: Frequent use of low-angle shots exaggerates the height and scale of the military formations and hardware, making the soldiers appear monumental and intimidating, towering over the viewer.

3. Leni Riefenstahl's Shadow: The *Triumph of the Will* Aesthetic

Commentators, including former Australian Minister Michael Pezzullo, explicitly drew a comparison between the aesthetic of the CCP parades and Leni Riefenstahl's infamous 1935 Nazi propaganda film, *Triumph of the Will*. [cite: 5 in step 3] * Riefenstahl's Technique: Riefenstahl’s film masterfully used low angles, telephoto lenses, and sweeping wide shots to monumentalize Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party. Her work is the definitive blueprint for the "totalitarian sublime"—the aesthetic pleasure derived from overwhelming scale, perfect order, and the submission of the individual to the collective will. * The Parallel: The AFP photos capture the CCP parades using the same visual grammar: endless columns of identical, goose-stepping troops, perfectly aligned weaponry, and a single, elevated leader (Xi Jinping) presiding over the spectacle. The high-contrast "AFP Filter" further echoes the dramatic, black-and-white sensibility of early propaganda cinema. [cite: 8 in step 3]

4. The Military Sublime: Scale and Uniformity

The sheer scale of the CCP military parades is a key component of the propaganda. When coupled with the "AFP Filter," the effect is one of overwhelming, almost terrifying, power. * Mass Ornament: The formations are a living embodiment of the "mass ornament" concept, where the individual is merely a component of a larger, perfectly synchronized pattern. This visual is designed to project military might and national unity. * Emotional Impact: The aesthetic bypasses rational thought, aiming for a visceral, emotional response—awe, fear, and submission—which is a hallmark of state-sponsored spectacle, whether from Nazi Germany or the modern Chinese Communist Party.

5. The Political Intention: Projecting Unquestionable Power

Ultimately, the controversy is less about the photograph and more about the subject's political intent. The parade itself is a display of authoritarian spectacle designed to project power both domestically and internationally. * Domestic Message: To the Chinese people, the parade reinforces the CCP's legitimacy, stability, and control, showcasing the nation's rapid military advancements. * International Message: To the world, it is a clear demonstration of strength and a warning to rivals. The AFP photos, by framing this spectacle in a "darker," "gloomy" light, simply interpret the inherent political message of the parade as one of cold, unfeeling power—the very essence of the "Nazi violence" comparison.

The 'AFP Filter' Debate: Intentional Gloom or Photojournalistic Style?

The concept of the "AFP Filter" has become a popular meme and a serious point of contention among Chinese netizens and state media commentators. The debate centers on whether the photographic aesthetic is a neutral, professional standard of photojournalism or a deliberate political framing device. Chinese critics argue that the low-saturation, high-contrast, and often low-angle shots are a form of media bias, an intentional editorial choice by Western outlets (including AFP, CNN, and BBC) to make China look "gloomy," "sinister," or "backward." [cite: 13, 15 in step 3] They point to the bright, vibrant, and celebratory coverage by Chinese state media (like Xinhua) as the "correct" representation. Conversely, Western photojournalists argue that their style is a long-standing, globally recognized standard for dramatic news coverage, emphasizing the gravity and scale of an event. The use of high contrast and dramatic lighting is a technique to convey the atmosphere and the underlying tension of a massive display of state authority and military discipline, regardless of the subject's political affiliation. In this view, the "filter" simply reveals the inherent nature of the military choreography and totalitarian aesthetic that the CCP itself is projecting. The viral phrase "france-presse captured the ccp's military parade with nazi violence" therefore acts as a perfect nexus for this cultural and political clash: a Western photographic interpretation of an Eastern state spectacle, filtered through the chilling lens of 20th-century European totalitarianism. The images serve as a powerful reminder that in the age of global media, aesthetics are never neutral, and the way an event is *photographed* can be as politically charged as the event itself.