Koran by Heart
Koran by Heart

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- 72/100 based on 369 votes

110 kids from the Islamic world are chosen and arrive in Cairo for the world's oldest Koran reciting contest. KORAN BY HEART follows two boys from Senegal and Tajikistan, and a little girl from Maldives - who go head-to-head with kids nearly twice their age in the pronunciation, recitation and perfected memorization of the Qur'an. Even as their own future hangs in the balance, they are caught between fundamentalist and moderate visions of Islam.... (Full plot summary below)

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Full Plot Details

110 kids from the Islamic world are chosen and arrive in Cairo for the world's oldest Koran reciting contest. KORAN BY HEART follows two boys from Senegal and Tajikistan, and a little girl from Maldives - who go head-to-head with kids nearly twice their age in the pronunciation, recitation and perfected memorization of the Qur'an. Even as their own future hangs in the balance, they are caught between fundamentalist and moderate visions of Islam.

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Movie Reviews

Spirituality and Practice - 9/10 by Frederic and Mary Ann BrussatProfiles of three very young participants in a prestigious Koran recitation contest in Cairo.
PopMatters - 8/10 by Sarah BoslaughBeautiful cinematography by Timothy Grucza and Frank-Peter Lehmann adds to the appeal of this well-constructed and thoughtful film.
PopMatters - 8/10 by Chris Barsanti...everything needed for audience-grabbing drama.
User Review - 10/10 by Noura AAmazing Kids .. hard not to be amazed with there talent .. I felt sad for the girl from Maldives and her fathers choices .. High achievers should be invested on there counted as treasures .. He should learn more about islam and the role of women. its a huge loss for there community if he would let her to be just a housewife. Great work to the Director and hope to see more
User Review - 8/10 by Dave JI learned so much from this doc. I think the children in the film are of the strongest character, and brave. I had no idea this sort of thing went on in the world but this doc exposed me to it. So for this doc showing something incredible and teaching me something I'm a big fan. What's this film about you say? Pre-teens memorizing the Koran, word for word!
User Review - 8/10 by Haniffa IIn Ramadan in 2009, former war correspondent and documentary filmmaker Greg Barker travelled to Cairo to capture the International Holy Koran Competition. Hundreds of young boys and girls, aged from seven to their early twenties, participate in the contest - a test of Koran memorisation, each year. This documentary follows three of the youngest contestants, all 10 years old. Nabiollah is from rural Tajikistan. His schooling focused on memorising the Koran's 600 pages and he has an impressive natural ability and voice. Sometimes swallowed by her abaya and hijab, Rifdha, a girl from the Maldives, wears bright pink glasses and an addictive smile. She leaves her adoring mother, somewhat reluctantly, to board the small floating plane that begins her journey to Egypt. And in Senegal, the teacher of Djamil reassures him: "Do not be frightened. Everyone, no matter where they are from, learns the same Koran." The son of a popular local Imam, he travels the width of northern Africa alone. This is the world's oldest recitation competition, and it is far from a bunch of kids in a room quoting the text line-by-line. The children sit in front of a panel of judges and choose a number on a touchscreen. A random question comes up, telling them which sentence fragment to begin with, and where to end. Adding to the difficulty of this task, none of the three contestants Barker follows speak or read Arabic with any comprehension. The three preadolescents have amazing gifts but perhaps even bigger challenges; along with spotlighting what they have accomplished at just ten, the film also foreshadows difficulties that lie ahead. The film is centred on the children but Islam, and the many questions surrounding the religion, feature in the background. There is discussion of the 'right' approach and what constitutes a 'good' Muslim. There are strict and moderate voices, each calling for more of their brand ("She has to be educated, but she will be a housewife," says Rifdha's father at one point.) In the end, however, Barker prioritises story-telling over judging, allowing the viewer to delve deeper in search of their own answers. "Koran By Heart" premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2011.
User Review - 8/10 by Sahar SAn amazing photography in Cairo streets. Loved the little boys and the girl from Maldives. Hated very much her father's fundamentalist views as well as the disgusting patriarchal views by the yougn sheikh from Cairo commenting on the little girl's participation!! A very interesting movie!
User Review - 8/10 by Train MI loved it. Best spelling-bee movie this year.
User Review - 6/10 by Craig Dylan WThere is so much more going on here than a competition among children. Children, I might add, that are impossible not to love. Congrats to HBO and Greg Barker who directs this beautiful documentary film.

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