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Once a year, the brightest kids from across the Islamic world head to Cairo for the world’s oldest Koran reciting contest. Children must not only repeat randomly selected passages down to the last perfect syllable, they must also perform to the highest standards of tajweed, ancient rules governing melody and rhythm. Most contestants study at formal schools, but for others, reciting the Word of God is their only education. Koran by Heart follows three extraordinary 10-year-olds who struggle with far more than holy verses. Nabiollah from Tajikistan has never attended school; Senegalese Djamil is his village imam’s son and carries the weight of an entire community’s expectations; Rifdha from the Maldives is exceedingly bright but must take the path her father sets out for her. As the final round of competition approaches, the film delivers a compelling look at a generation caught between fundamentalist and moderate Islam. - Myrocia Watamaniuk