Salman Rushdie recovery documented in new Alex Gibney film

A new documentary by Alex Gibney explores the survival and recovery of author Salman Rushdie following his 2022 stabbing at the Chautauqua Institution in upstate New York. The film utilizes video footage recorded by Rushdie’s wife, poet and artist Rachel Eliza Griffiths, who documented his medical treatment and emotional processing during the crisis.

The documentary situates the attack within the broader context of Rushdie’s career, which was long impacted by the fatwa issued against him in 1989. It also examines the actions of the attacker, Hadi Matar, who is currently serving a 25-year sentence for attempted murder. The film and Rushdie’s 2024 memoir, ‘Knife’, serve as artistic outlets to process the violence and document the couple's resilience.