‘For the authoritarian, culture is the enemy’: Salman Rushdie talks recovery and resilience at Sundance | Sundance 2026

On August 12, 2022, at New York’s Chautauqua Institution, author Salman Rushdie was attacked just as he was preparing to speak about the importance of protecting writers. A man, masked and wielding a knife, rushed the stage and stabbed the Indian-born British-American author 15 times in the face, neck, and torso. Audience members intervened, disarming the assailant, and Rushdie narrowly survived the attack, suffering severe injuries including damage to tendons in his left hand and the loss of his right eye.

A Harrowing Account of Resilience

The new documentary, Knife: The Attempted Murder of Salman Rushdie, directed by Alex Gibney, offers a stark and unflinching look at Rushdie’s recovery. The film, based on Rushdie’s memoir of the same name, premiered at the Sundance Film Festival to a standing ovation. It includes previously unseen footage recorded by Rushdie’s wife, Rachel Eliza Griffiths, revealing the graphic extent of his injuries – discolored skin, a bisected abdomen held together by stitches, and a severely swollen neck.

Rushdie’s immediate thought upon regaining consciousness, he recounts in the film, was to document the experience. This impulse, shared by Griffiths, initially stemmed from a need to understand “what’s going to happen to us? How did this happen to us?” but evolved into a broader statement against political violence.

The Larger Implications of the Attack

Though the documentary centers on Rushdie’s personal ordeal, the author emphasizes that it represents a larger struggle. He asserts that violence is often “unleashed by the unscrupulous, using the ignorant, to attack culture.” He believes that authoritarian regimes view culture as an enemy, and actively suppress it.

Gibney’s film connects the attack to Rushdie’s past, tracing his life from a secular Muslim family in India to his time in London, where his writing faced opposition. The attack, it’s revealed, was inspired by the decades-old fatwa, carried out by a 24-year-old man from New Jersey who wasn’t even alive when it was originally issued. Rushdie realized understanding the past is crucial to understanding the present.

Gibney also draws parallels between the threats against Rushdie and recent events, referencing unrest in Minneapolis, Minnesota, where a US citizen was shot and killed by ICE agents. He suggests that irresponsible political leadership can incite violence and allow it to spiral out of control.

A Testament to the Human Spirit

Despite the horrific nature of the attack, the documentary also highlights the resilience of the human spirit. Griffiths’s footage reveals Rushdie’s unwavering “righteousness and principles” and even his sense of humor throughout his recovery. He wryly noted that his assailant’s surprise at his survival “demonstrates intent.”

The film culminates with footage of the attack itself, captured by conference cameras, showing the brutality of the stabbing and the courage of those who intervened. Rushdie reflects that the event revealed both “the worst side of human nature” and “the best side of human nature” in the actions of the audience members who saved his life.

Frequently Asked Questions

What injuries did Salman Rushdie sustain in the attack?

Salman Rushdie sustained 15 stab wounds to the face, neck, and torso. These injuries resulted in severed tendons in his left hand and the loss of his right eye.

What was Rachel Eliza Griffiths’ role in documenting Rushdie’s recovery?

Rachel Eliza Griffiths, Rushdie’s wife, recorded never-before-seen footage of his recovery, including graphic depictions of his injuries, as a way to cope with the trauma and to document the experience.

What larger point does the documentary aim to make?

The documentary argues that the attack on Salman Rushdie is an example of a broader pattern of violence against culture, often instigated by authoritarian regimes and fueled by ignorance.

Considering the documentary’s exploration of the intersection between artistic expression, political violence, and personal resilience, what responsibility do individuals have to defend freedom of thought and expression in their own communities?