New documentary Knife revisits the attack on Salman Rushdie and his recovery

A new documentary titled Knife examines the life of author Salman Rushdie before and after the attempt on his life in 2022, when he was stabbed multiple times while preparing to give a lecture in New York. Directed by Alex Gibney, the film is based on Rushdie's own memoir and draws heavily on his first-person narration throughout.

The documentary makes use of intimate video footage recorded at Rushdie's hospital bedside by his wife in the aftermath of the attack, offering a close and personal account of his physical recovery. That footage, combined with Rushdie's own retelling of events, forms the emotional core of the film.

Rushdie, who has lived for decades under the shadow of threats stemming from his 1988 novel The Satanic Verses, has spoken publicly in recent years about the long road to recovery following the 2022 attack, which left him with lasting injuries, including the loss of sight in one eye. The documentary situates the attack within the broader arc of his life as a writer who has faced sustained threats to his safety.

Critics reviewing the film have highlighted its focus on Rushdie's resilience, describing the documentary as both difficult to watch and ultimately a testament to his determination to continue writing and speaking publicly despite the danger he has faced. The film does not shy away from the violence of the attack itself, presenting it as a backdrop against which Rushdie's recovery and continued defence of free expression stand out.

By relying on Rushdie's own voice and the memoir that chronicled his experience, Gibney's documentary positions itself as a direct extension of the author's own account rather than a separate interpretation, giving audiences what reviewers describe as an unusually intimate record of survival.