Lincoln Theater is pleased to present a powerful evening of film and conversation. Join us Saturday, May 2 at 7 p.m. for a special screening of “Knife: The Attempted Murder of Salman Rushdie,” a new documentary from Academy Award-winning director Alex Gibney’s. Immediately following the screening, all are encouraged to stay for an opportunity to hear directly from Alex Gibney and to ask him questions about his work.

 More than 30 years after Iran issued a religious decree calling for author Salman Rushdie’s death over “The Satanic Verses,” Rushdie traveled to Chautauqua to speak at an event marking the 20th anniversary of a writer-refuge program — a setting meant to celebrate safety and creative freedom. It was here, in an unrelated incident, that a young man rushed the stage, intent on killing him with a knife, inspiring his powerful memoir “Knife: Meditations After an Attempted Murder.”

Alex Gibney’s documentary, which incorporates never-before-seen footage shot by Rushdie’s wife, offers a graphic, unflinching, and deeply intimate account of the aftermath of the attack as well as Rushdie’s physical and spiritual recovery. It is both a striking testament to freedom of expression and a defiant response to the attempt on Rushdie’s life.

Gibney, known for his captivating and insightful documentaries, has been called the most important documentarian of our time by Esquire Magazine, and has received numerous prestigious awards. In “Knife: The Attempted Murder of Salman Rushdie,” Gibney, working with longtime collaborators Andy Grieve (editor) and Will Bates (composer), crafts a poetic dreamscape that reflects how Rushdie views his writing as his own “knife,” a tool to fight back, reclaim his story, and respond to violence with imagination and art.

Immediately following the film, Lincoln Theater Executive Director Christina Belknap will host a talkback with Alex Gibney offering a rare opportunity to hear directly from one of today’s most accomplished documentary filmmakers. Known for acclaimed works including the Oscar Winning “Taxi to the Dark Side,” “Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room,” and “Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief,” Gibney brings decades of experience exploring complex and urgent real-world issues.

Tickets: $15 adult, $13 Lincoln Theater members, and $5 youth (18 and under) are available for purchase online by visiting LincolnTheater.org. Tickets will also be available for purchase at the door beginning 30 minutes before showtime. Lincoln Theater is located at 2 Theater St., Damariscotta. More information is available at LincolnTheater.org or by contacting the theater office at info@LincolnTheater.org or 563-3424.