The Golden Spurtle

Constantine Costi's 2025 documentary is about the World Porridge Championship held in a small village in the Scottish Highlands. Contenders come from all over the world armed only with oats, salt and water. The Porridge Chieftain, whose tenure is ending, is looking for a successor. The humour comes from the distance between the smallness of the subject and the seriousness of the participants; nobody is joking, and that is exactly what is funny. At the same time the documentary shows how village communities stay standing around events like this: the competition is a pretext and the point is gathering. Its short length and plain structure suit the subject. Who it's for: viewers who like food culture documentaries and portraits of small communities. Who it's not for: anyone expecting high tension, or who will think the subject too narrow.