Alex Gibney on Salman Rushdie Sundance Doc ‘Knife’

Director Alex Gibney has turned his lens toward one of the most significant attacks on artistic freedom in recent memory. His new documentary, Knife, premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and offers a profound examination of survival and recovery.

The film centers on author Salman Rushdie and the aftermath of the violent assault he endured in 2022. Rather than focusing solely on the trauma, Gibney's work explores the complex journey of healing that followed.

On August 12, 2022, Salman Rushdie traveled to Chautauqua, New York, for a scheduled speaking engagement. The event was intended to address the critical topic of artistic freedom—ironically, the very principle that had made him a target decades earlier.

As Rushdie prepared to take the stage, the atmosphere shifted dramatically. Hadi Matar, a 24-year-old man from New Jersey, rushed the platform and launched a brutal attack. The assault resulted in severe injuries for the acclaimed author, including damage to his liver and the potential loss of an eye.

This violent incident occurred more than 30 years after Iran's Ayatollah Khomeini first issued a fatwa against Rushdie for his novel The Satanic Verses. The attack demonstrated that the threats against the author had not diminished with time.

During the Sundance premiere, Gibney clarified his artistic approach to the sensitive subject matter. He emphasized that Knife is not merely a chronicle of violence, but rather an exploration of what comes after.

It's really a doc about recovery.

The director's statement underscores the documentary's central thesis. While the attack itself serves as the narrative catalyst, the film's true subject is the human capacity to rebuild and find meaning after trauma.

Gibney's body of work has long included examinations of complex social issues. With Knife, he applies his investigative style to a deeply personal story of survival, while maintaining the journalistic integrity that defines his filmmaking.

The documentary situates the 2022 attack within a much longer timeline of threats against the author. The fatwa issued by Ayatollah Khomeini in 1989 created a decades-long shadow over Rushdie's life and career.

For over three decades, Rushdie lived with the constant awareness of potential danger. The Chautauqua attack represented a terrifying realization of those long-standing fears, yet it also became a moment that galvanized supporters worldwide.

The incident drew immediate condemnation from international bodies, including the United Nations, which reaffirmed its commitment to protecting artistic expression and the safety of creators.

The documentary arrives at a critical moment for discussions about artistic freedom and the safety of writers globally. The attack on Rushdie highlighted the ongoing risks faced by those who challenge orthodoxies through their work.

By examining both the historical fatwa and the recent attack, Knife raises important questions about the persistence of threats against creative expression. The film suggests that the battle for artistic freedom is far from over.

Gibney's work serves as both a testament to Rushdie's resilience and a broader commentary on the importance of protecting voices that push boundaries and challenge power structures.

Knife represents more than a single incident—it stands as an examination of how individuals and societies process violence, trauma, and the ongoing struggle for creative expression. Through Gibney's lens, the documentary becomes a meditation on what it means to recover.

The film's premiere at Sundance marks a significant moment for documentary cinema, demonstrating how non-fiction storytelling can illuminate complex human experiences while maintaining journalistic rigor. As audiences engage with this work, it prompts reflection on the enduring value of artistic freedom and the resilience required to protect it.