Review of Koran by Heart (2011) by Haniffa I — 22 Aug 2012

In 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.