In August 2022, Eliza Griffiths, also known as Rachel Eliza Griffiths, was at home in New York when she received a call from a friend informing her that her husband, the acclaimed author Salman Rushdie, had been seriously injured during a speaking event nearly 400 miles away. Rushdie had been stabbed multiple times and was in critical condition. In response, Griffiths began recording a video diary to chronicle his treatment and recovery. Rushdie, known for his dry sense of humor, joked that he had suggested taking occasional photos, but Griffiths had more ambitious plans. She acquired a professional camera, which she said helped her reconnect with her identity as an artist. Rushdie and Griffiths, who are married, have both written memoirs about the incident. Rushdie’s book, Knife, was published in 2024, while Griffiths’ memoir, The Flower Bearers, details her experience as a witness to the attack. The couple is now the focus of a film titled Knife: The Attempted Murder of Salman Rushdie, directed by Alex Gibney. The film blends Griffiths’ video diary with archival footage from the years following the 1989 fatwa, a religious decree that called for Rushdie’s death after he published The Satanic Verses, a novel that sparked controversy in some Islamic communities. Gibney was invited by Rushdie and Griffiths to curate the film, though Rushdie initially opposed including the older footage, believing the attacker was an isolated individual rather than a symbol of a larger issue. Gibney, however, felt it was essential to highlight the global impact of the fatwa. The film includes footage from the aftermath of the 1989 fatwa, such as the firebombing of the Riverdale Press newspaper in the U.S., riots in Pakistan, and the stabbing of a translator in Japan and Italy. It also shows a parade of an effigy of Rushdie in London. The film’s strength lies in connecting the 2022 attack with the 1989 fatwa, illustrating the ongoing consequences of violent opposition to free speech. Griffiths, who was 11 when the fatwa was issued, recalled the emotional impact of seeing Rushdie’s damaged eye in the footage, describing it as a powerful reminder of the attack's reality. Rushdie, who had been in hiding for nearly a decade after the fatwa, had previously criticized security measures at public events. He now questions the lack of security at the Chautauqua event where he was attacked. Gibney initially wanted to model the film after Dennis Potter’s The Singing Detective, but ultimately used large portions of Rushdie’s memoir Knife as the film’s narration. Rushdie, who did not receive formal production credits, felt the approach allowed his creative and associative thoughts to be fully expressed. The film includes references to literary works and film excerpts, such as a scene from Georges Méliès’ Le Voyage dans La Lune. Rushdie and Griffiths revisited the attack site to correct some of their earlier recollections, with Rushdie acknowledging he had tried to escape his attacker, contrary to his initial self-criticism. Gibney attempted to interview the attacker, referred to as "A," but was unsuccessful. Despite the film’s dark themes, it ends on a hopeful note, emphasizing the couple’s love and resilience. Rushdie and Griffiths had been together for five years when the attack happened, having met at a writers’ festival for the PEN charity. The attack brought Griffiths into the public eye for the first time, though she had previously preferred a more private life. The couple will attend the film’s premiere in London and visit Rushdie’s family in the UK. Rushdie humorously dismissed the idea of leaving the U.S. for Britain under former Prime Minister Boris Johnson.