Salman Rushdie Reflects on Attack at Sundance Film Festival

More than three years after the near-fatal stabbing that targeted Salman Rushdie, the renowned author is framing his narrative anew. At the Sundance Film Festival, he drew attention during the premiere of “Knife: The Attempted Murder of Salman Rushdie,” which portrays the shocking attack in 2022.

Rushdie, now 78, expressed that his motivation for sharing his ordeal was to highlight broader principles, noting, “I did it because I felt that this wasn’t just about me, that there were principles at stake.” He emphasized the need for the public to witness the reality of a terrorist assault.

Following the attack, which resulted in Rushdie losing the sight in one eye and suffering lasting damage to his hand, he made a pivotal decision: to remain true to his craft. “I told myself I would continue to be the writer I always was,” he stated, asserting that his works would not be fueled by fear or vengeance. Instead, he chose to persist on the path he had already charted, focusing on creation rather than being swayed by negative emotions.

Reflecting on the years since the attack, Rushdie shared his deep worries about the current global atmosphere, acknowledging a surge in radicalism. He candidly noted that conversations today can feel absurdly difficult, saying, “Everyone is crazy now.”

This experience, he noted, revealed the contrasting sides of human nature. He witnessed both the violence stemming from ignorance and the bravery displayed by those in the audience who saved his life during the attack.

The attack occurred during a scheduled lecture at the Chautauqua Institute in August 2022. Rushdie was swiftly airlifted to a hospital where he underwent surgery for severe injuries, including damage to his liver and severed nerves. The assailant, Hadi Matar, 27, received a 25-year prison sentence in May 2025 for the assault.

Rushdie described the 27-second encounter as intensely significant, recalling how the sight of the attacker running toward him felt like a moment drawn from his past. “To be honest, I sometimes imagined my assassin standing up in some public place…,” he remarked, relaying his thoughts as he confronted the assailant.

Despite the physical and emotional scars left by the incident, Rushdie remains committed to his work, rather than retreating. He articulated his perplexity regarding why oppressive figures fear writers. “Why was Franco afraid of Lorca? Why was Caesar Augustus afraid of Ovid?” he pondered, underscoring the power of narrative control that writers wield— a power that challenges dictators and their attempts to impose control.