Salman Rushdie was speaking at an event celebrating the US as a sanctuary for exiled writers and artists when a young man stormed the stage and stabbed the author 15 times in 27 seconds. The attack took place on camera and at Rushdie’s insistence, his wife Rachel Eliza Griffiths continued to film, both in the immediate aftermath and over the weeks and months of rehab and recovery that followed. (Rushdie permananently lost his vision in one eye.)
Oscar and Emmy winner Alex Gibney interweaves this footage with archival material from Rushdie’s youth and the storm that followed Iran’s fatwa against him after the publication of The Satanic Verses, along with extracts from his writing, especially his recent memoir about the attack (also called Knife), and reflections on what this says about art, free speech, censorship, hatred, forgiveness, and the world we find ourselves in today.
Staggeringly intimate.
Katie Erbland, IndieWire
A vibrant testament to the intellectual life of its subject.
David Rooney, Hollywood Reporter
A film that stands as a testament to the resilience of the human spirit and our ability to rebuild even after experiencing the worst.
Zachary Lee, The Wrap
Alex Gibney
Salman Rushdie
USA
2026
English
Indigenous & Community Access
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Credits
Executive Producer
Rachel Eliza Griffiths, Wendy Schmidt Richard Perello
Producer
Alex Gibney, Erin Edeiken, Sruthi Pinnamaneni
Cinematography
Rachel Eliza Griffiths
Editor
Andy Grieve
Original Music
Will Bates
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