Once a year, the sleepy village of Carrbridge awakens with excitement, as locals and competitors from around the globe vie for the honour of winning The Golden Spurtle (World Porridge Championships). The quest to cook the perfect blend of oats, water and salt has been tried and tested for 30 years, relentlessly.
Infused with whimsical humour, this documentary explores the idiosyncrasies of village life and the profound role this quirky competition plays.
For aging, charismatic and soon-to-retire protagonist Charlie Miller, this competition means so much more than a bowl of steaming oats. With declining health and grappling with the absence of a suitable successor, Charlie’s on a mission to secure the future of the championships – and his own legacy.
The charm of this competition gathered international attention when an American competitor won the title in 2009. Ever since national pride has been at stake – felt most keenly through one of our cast – Ian Bishop. This born-and-bred villager took the fight back – and reclaimed the title. With his health now also in decline, this year his goal is to mount one last glorious attempt to secure the title. But he’s got stiff competition. Amongst them, Toby Wilson, a young Australian taco chef who wants to challenge the status quo with his recipe for an oat-based tortilla.
Against the backdrop of the breathtaking Scottish Highlands, and through the poignant, heartfelt stories of an eclectic cast, this documentary captures the humanity – both its struggles and joy – of village life and those who come to dip their toes.
The GOLDEN SPURTLE will make you smile and maybe weep at times, but above all, it will celebrate the power of community.
On stage or screen, his work is distinguished by its bold visual impact, its radical re-envisioning of established classics and its emotional energy. – The Saturday Paper’s ‘The Influence’ Named as one of the country’s 21 hottest creatives of 2021 by The Australian newspaper, Constantine Costi is a director, writer, co-artistic director of Red Line Productions at the Old Fitz. His acclaimed opera film A Delicate Fire for Pinchgut Opera based on the madrigals of Barbara Strozzi, has been awarded Best Australian Feature Film at the Sydney Women’s Film Festival , and the ATOM Award’s Best Experimental Film. Recent highlights include Monochromatic; a series of piano portraits for Phoenix Central Park. La Traviata on Sydney Harbour for Opera Australia, Melbourne Cheremushki for Victorian Opera, and a Kurt Weill Double Bill for The Old Fitz Theatre; Mahagonny Songspiel and The Seven Deadly Sins.
