The film also addresses the captivating sound of the Qur’an recitation. An expert on the matter, Kristina Nelson, a musicologist, talks about the important effects and meaning of Qur’an recitation even to those who might not understand what they are saying. Nelson is the author of the book ‘The Art of Reciting the Qu’ran’.

And we see a live example of what Nelson is talking about when we hear Nabiollah reciting. The judges are so taken by his voice that they surround him after his recital to congratulate him and listen to more. Nabiolah ends up winning third place and is the only participants who is invited to recite Qur’an at the closing ceremony, which was attended by Egypt’s former president.

While telling the gripping stories of the three children, the documentary also keeps you anxious to know if they would win, hoping that they would. After making a mistake, Djamil’s tears start falling down his cheek. You feel his pain. He doesn’t make it to the final round but the judges honor him by having him recite at one of Egypt’s main mosques.

By indirectly correcting misconceptions, introducing a topic few people in the West know about (Qur’an recitation) and emotionally connecting the viewers to the characters in the film, Koran by Heart accomplishes a lot. But the biggest accomplishment on that sunny Sunday afternoon in New York, came after the film was over.

The film’s director, Greg Barker, walks up and surprises the audience: Rifdha and her parents are there.

In one scene in the film, Rifdha tells her mom that she wants to be an oceans explorer. Her father however, while supportive of her participation in the competition and of continuing her education, insists he wants her to be a housewife. It was devastating to the audience, me included, to hear of his plans for his brilliant daughter.

The father got at least a couple of questions on his opinion regarding the future of his daughter. He was shy and extremely nervous but courageous enough to tell a movie theatre full of New Yorkers that he wanted his daughter to be a housewife.

Barker quickly jumped in. He thanked the family for coming all the way to New York and told the audience this: “When we go around making films we don’t tell people how to live their lives. They don’t tell us how to live ours either.”

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