This documentary is the story of the knife attack on Salman Rushdie – an attack which took his right eye and almost his life.
In 1988, well-known Indian-British writer Salman Rushdie, a secular Muslim, published his fourth novel, “The Satanic Verses.” This book, inspired by the life of Muhammad, using magical realism and relying on contemporary events and people to create his characters, was a tremendous success. The title refers to a group of Quranic verses about three pagan Meccan goddesses, supposedly inspired by the devil and mistaken for revelation by the Prophet.
This was followed by a “fatwa,” a legal ruling on a point in sharia law, issued by Iranian Supreme Leader Khomeini in 1989. This ruling called for Rushdie’s death. Despite many death threats, Rushdie avoided attack until 33 years later when, while about to begin a presentation in Chautauqua, New York, he was attacked by a knife-wielding assassin. “Knife” is a dramatization of the memoir Rushdie wrote recounting the attack and his recovery.
Narrated by the author himself, this is much more than a recounting of the attack (which was filmed live when it happened and is horrific). He delves into his entire life, from his childhood in India, the son of a stern, alcoholic father, to his education in England and his decision not to return to India. These and other milestones of his life are interspersed with images of him in his hospital bed (the graphic images of his wounds are not for the squeamish). Much of this material was recorded by his wife Eliza, who is a professional photographer. We see him from just hours after the attack until he is fully recovered (less the eye he lost) a year later. He also recorded his musings about the cloud of hatred that has hung over him for decades, why he was attacked so many years after the fatwa was lifted, and the fact that neither Khomeini nor the man who attacked Rushdie in Chautauqua had even read “The Satanic Verses.”
Directed by Academy Award Winner Alex Gibney (“Taxi to the Dark Side), this is a remarkable recounting of an event that shocked the world. Assembled from stills, archival and personal footage of Rushdie at various points in his career (especially from interviews through the decades) and finally from the video taken by Eliza, it is a remarkable testament to the indomitable spirit of a man who believes in a freedom we all too often take for granted – free speech, and who has suffered greatly because of it. Yet he has overcome all.
Note: This film, while inspiring, also has several scenes of violence and injury, made all the worse because what we see is real – not acting or makeup artistry.
Runtime: One hour, 47 minutes
Availability: In theaters beginning Sept. 17, 2026
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