Latest news with #ConstantineCosti
Scotsman
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Scotsman
Watch: First look at trailer of Highlands porridge documentary set for film festival
This video More videos The competition has been running for three decades Keep up with the latest new videos with the Shots! Newsletter. Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... The trailer of a documentary about a porridge making competition in the Highlands which is to premiere at Edinburgh International Film Festival has been released. The Golden Spurtle, directed by Constantine Costi, tells the story of the contest in the village of Carrbridge in the Scottish Highlands, where competitors fight it out for the coveted title of World Porridge Champion - using only oats, water and salt. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The competition has been held for last three decades, once a year, attracting contenders from around the globe. The Golden Spurtle documentary will be shown at Edinburgh International Film Festival. | contributed A spokesman for the documentary said: 'Amid intense rivalries, steaming bowls of porridge, and the lives of charmingly eccentric locals we see a living legacy unfold. 'Leading the way is self-titled Chieftain of the Golden Spurtle Charlie Miller, an acerbic wit, charisma and no-nonsense approach to all things porridge. A maker of spurtles (wooden porridge stirring utensils), Charlie is an artist at heart. Since taking ill he is looking for a successor to take over as Chieftain. But with no one in sight, Charlie is left to shoulder the burden of the championship's uncertain future.'
The Age
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Age
Opera Australia to premiere a new version of La Boheme in Melbourne as leadership tumult continues
Opera Australia's 2026 program will feature a new production of La Boheme – the company's first revamp of the beloved Puccini work in 15 years. Exclusive to Melbourne, the production is one of the highlights of a solid program revealed on Monday by the company for its 70th-anniversary season. The launch comes in a year the company has had significant departures at leadership level – there is still no permanent CEO or artistic director – and in which it recorded a $10 million deficit. Next year marks 130 years since La Boheme was first staged, and in that time Puccini's cherished work has been endlessly reimagined. 'You're dealing with one of the greatest works ever written,' says director Constantine Costi. 'Claus Guth set La Boheme on the moon for the Paris Opera, so I feel like the ceiling has been smashed.' Costi's version, conducted by the internationally acclaimed Finnegan Downie Dear, will 'go back to the essential DNA of the piece'. 'The hook, for me, was thinking about these central characters being artists – we're dealing with a writer, a painter, a poet, a philosopher ...' he says. 'So we're really exploring a kind of heightened reality, a heightened romantic Paris, as seen through the eyes of these artistic Bohemians.' Meanwhile, Sydney opera fans will be treated to a new production of Turandot, directed by Ann Yee, in a season that opens there with a welcome return of Moffatt Oxenbould's dreamy Madama Butterfly, a sharp contrast to the controversial 2022 version from Graeme Murphy. Reliable favourites Hansel & Gretel, Rigoletto and The Merry Widow will sit alongside a new opera, The Drover's Wife, based on the play, novel and film by Leah Purcell. New operas are 'always a priority for us' says head of music Tahu Matheson. 'I really hope it comes to Melbourne. It certainly deserves to. It's quite an extraordinary piece.'
Sydney Morning Herald
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Sydney Morning Herald
Opera Australia to premiere a new version of La Boheme in Melbourne as leadership tumult continues
Opera Australia's 2026 program will feature a new production of La Boheme – the company's first revamp of the beloved Puccini work in 15 years. Exclusive to Melbourne, the production is one of the highlights of a solid program revealed on Monday by the company for its 70th-anniversary season. The launch comes in a year the company has had significant departures at leadership level – there is still no permanent CEO or artistic director – and in which it recorded a $10 million deficit. Next year marks 130 years since La Boheme was first staged, and in that time Puccini's cherished work has been endlessly reimagined. 'You're dealing with one of the greatest works ever written,' says director Constantine Costi. 'Claus Guth set La Boheme on the moon for the Paris Opera, so I feel like the ceiling has been smashed.' Costi's version, conducted by the internationally acclaimed Finnegan Downie Dear, will 'go back to the essential DNA of the piece'. 'The hook, for me, was thinking about these central characters being artists – we're dealing with a writer, a painter, a poet, a philosopher ...' he says. 'So we're really exploring a kind of heightened reality, a heightened romantic Paris, as seen through the eyes of these artistic Bohemians.' Meanwhile, Sydney opera fans will be treated to a new production of Turandot, directed by Ann Yee, in a season that opens there with a welcome return of Moffatt Oxenbould's dreamy Madama Butterfly, a sharp contrast to the controversial 2022 version from Graeme Murphy. Reliable favourites Hansel & Gretel, Rigoletto and The Merry Widow will sit alongside a new opera, The Drover's Wife, based on the play, novel and film by Leah Purcell. New operas are 'always a priority for us' says head of music Tahu Matheson. 'I really hope it comes to Melbourne. It certainly deserves to. It's quite an extraordinary piece.'
Scotsman
07-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Scotsman
‘Feel good' documentary on Scottish Highlands porridge competition gets Edinburgh Film Festival premiere
Sign up to our Arts and Culture newsletter, get the latest news and reviews from our specialist arts writers Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... A documentary on the World Porridge Making Championships in Carrbridge is set to be released during the Edinburgh International Film Festival (EIFF). UK film distributor Dogwoof announced the UK release date for filmmaker Constantine Costi's new documentary The Golden Spurtle as September 12, after its premiere at the EIFF on August 17. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The annual competition has been taking place in the village of Carrbridge for 30 years. Contenders from around the globe descend to compete for the coveted title of world porridge champion. In the documentary, viewers will witness intense rivalries, steaming bowls of porridge, and the lives of charmingly eccentric locals, alongside a living legacy and the search for succession of the 'chieftain of the Golden Spurtle'. The Golden Spurtle documentary will be released in UK cinemas in September. | contributed Charlie Miller, self-titled Chieftain of the Golden Spurtle, showcases an acerbic wit, charisma and no-nonsense approach to all things porridge . A maker of spurtles - traditional wooden porridge stirring utensils - Mr Miller is described as an artist at heart. Since taking ill, he is looking for a successor to take over as chieftain. But with no one in sight, Mr Miller is left to shoulder the burden of the championship's uncertain future. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The documentary is said to boast striking cinematography illuminating both the film's memorable characters and the beautiful scenery of the Highlands , inspired by the work of photographers such as August Sander and Martin Parr. The film introduces viewers to an array of competitors from around the world - from Suffolk-based Queen of Porridge Lisa to seven-time finalist and London-based health food chief executive Nick, as well as young Australian chef Toby. The Golden Spurtle is billed as a celebration of community and the future of vibrant, close-knit societies. The film is directed by Constantine Cosi (A Delicate Fire) with cinematography by Dimitri Zaunders. The film is produced by Rebecca Lamond (Friends and Strangers) and co-produced by John Archer (My Old School, My Name is Alfred Hitchcock).
The Guardian
07-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
The Golden Spurtle review – a cosy celebration of porridge and its champions
The word 'porridge' to me evokes something modest and satisfying: mouthfuls of reliable pleasantness in a terribly volatile world. How lovely that The Golden Spurtle – Constantine Costi's charming documentary about the world's annual porridge-making championship in the Scottish village of Carrbridge – has assumed some of the qualities of the dish. It isn't flashy (and certainly doesn't scream 'must-watch') but, like a good ol' fashioned bowl of well-cooked oats, it's got it where it counts. This film is a pleasure to watch – with endearing salt-of-the-earth subjects, a lovely ebb and flow, and a tone that feels just right: neither overly serious nor tongue in cheek. Its appeal is not dissimilar to the Australian comedy series Rosehaven: sometimes it's just nice to escape into a fresh air-filled world with refreshingly low stakes. Even if the competitors, gawd luv 'em, treat the competition very seriously. The Golden Spurtle is also lovely to look at. It's displayed in a tucked-in 4:3 aspect ratio that has a slightly antiquated feel, which suits the material. The opening shot features a grassy field overlaid with text declaring that every year Carrbridge hosts the titular tournament, though the upcoming event is a little different: it's the last to be led by its head organiser, Charlie Miller, who is hanging up his stirring spoon after many years of service. This contextualises what comes next as an end-of-empire narrative, belonging to a pantheon of stories about dynasties that changed the course of history and rattled the tectonic, erm, oatmeal bowls of existence. Early moments introduce places in and around Carrbridge – including a pub and a cemetery – before we meet competitors and people of note in the world of rolled oats. They include the Australian taco chef Toby Wilson, who packs up a portable kitchen and flies with it across the world, and is competing against the likes of Nick Barnard, the co-founder of a wholesome food company who is 'burning with desire' to triumph after having made the finals several times. I wondered whether we'd meet the equivalent of a moustache-twirling villain: someone comparable perhaps to the cocksure Billy Mitchell from the video game documentary King of Kong: Fistful of Quarters – the reigning Donkey Kong champion who stopped at nothing to protect his throne. I initially thought we might have found one in Ian Bishop, a former world champion and porridge-making legend who returns for another crack and is confident he'll win. But this 'man of mystery' turns out to be pretty likable too. I also wondered whether there'd be any wild, revolutionary figures that upended tradition and blazed a mushy new path forward – the Jimi Hendrix of porridge cooking. Sadly not, though we do learn of a competitor who one year brought with him a deep fryer, which was considered 'dangerous' and 'crazy'. Momentum builds in the lead-up to the big day, when crowds pack into Carrbridge's modest community hall, where, for some reason, a whisky-tasting event is also taking place. People involved in The Golden Spurtle tend to, quite adorably, emphasise their own importance: one of the kitchen crew assures us, with a cheeky wee gleam in her eyes, that this is 'the boiler house of the world porridge championships', where all the important action takes place. It's all very sweet and agreeable: a palate-pleasing celebration of the noble oat. The Golden Spurtle is showing at Sydney film festival on 7, 14 and 15 June and will get a general Australian release later this year. A UK release has yet to be announced.
