In this 80-minute documentary, three 10-year-old children leave their native countries to participate in one of the Islamic world's most famous competitions, a test of memory and recitation known as The International Holy Koran Competition. Up against much older students, these youngsters have committed the 600 pages of the Koran to memory, and will put their skills to the test before the elite of the world's Muslim community in Cairo, Egypt. In the midst of this intense international competition, the three young competitors - two boys from Senegal and Tajikistan, and one girl from the Maldives - face uncertain futures at home, as they are caught between fundamentalist and moderate visions of Islam. The children discuss their recitation techniques - with accompanying, completely improvised melodies - and talk about their nerves and excitement as they finally compete before a panel of judges. In addition to chronicling the excitement and pressure of the Koran Competition, Award-winning filmmaker Greg Barker delicately captures touching moments with the children at home with their families, where they open up about life and religion, their academic dreams and career aspirations. As the competition reaches its climax, Koran By Heart offers a compelling and nuanced glimpse into some of the pressures faced by the next generation of Muslims.

Filmmaker Greg Barker offers a look into an unusual contest in which talented children pit their skills against others from around the world in this documentary. Every year, dozens of kids travel to Cairo to take place in an international Koran recitation contest; the children (some as young as seven) are judged on their ability to recite the Muslim holy book from memory, and they are graded on both accuracy and the musicality of their intonation. In KORAN BY HEART, Barker and his crew capture the competition and the interaction between the entrants, as well as the parents who serve as both guardians and trainers. Barker puts his greatest focus on three children: Rifdha, one of the few girls in the competition, who hails from the Maldives and seems considerably more open minded and questioning than her stern father; Nabiollah, a boy from Tajikistan whose striking performance is especially remarkable since he doesn't speak Arabic; and Djamil, a ten-year-old from Senegal who is on his own in Cairo while his friends and family eagerly await the news about the contest at home. KORAN BY HEART received its world premiere at the 2011 Tribeca Film Festival.