EIFF 2025: The Golden Spurtle
The styles of both Wes Anderson and Christopher Guest are evoked in this winning documentary about the kooky community surrounding the annual World Porridge Making Championship in Carrbridge
Who would have thought a documentary about porridge, the beigest of foodstuffs, would be so colourful? I’m not just talking about Dimitri Zaunders’ attractive, 4:3 ratio cinematography capturing the lush woodland around Carrbridge, the darling Highland town that hosts the annual World Porridge Making Championship. Colourful too are the various characters who compete in the annual event, and the eccentric collection of locals who make it happen each year.
What makes Constantine Costi’s film so winning is that he clearly loves all of them – from Toby, the deadpan Aussie taco chef, flying from Sydney to Scotland to compete in the competition for the second time, to Ian, the grizzled veteran who looks and sounds a bit like Sean Connery gone feral. He even has time for Neil, the tryhard Englishman who you suspect would sell out his grandma to get his hands on the titular trophy. Our chief hero, though, is Charlie Miller, the competition's chieftain who’ll be retiring at the end of the event, giving The Golden Spurtle an emotional kicker.
This is an incredibly funny film, with most of the comedy emanating from the disconnect between the competitors’ passion for creating the perfect bowl of porridge and the inherent futility of such an endeavour, given that every bowl passed in front of the camera looks identical. James Alcock’s deadpan editing also elicits plenty of laughs. Costi’s direction, which was so precise on the lead-up, becomes a bit looser during the chaos of competition day, but that’s the only grumble in this otherwise pitch-perfect endeavour.
The Golden Spurtle had its UK premiere at Edinburgh International Film Festival
Released 12 Sep by Dogwoof; certificate U