Welsh independent filmmaker Jamie Adams found the inspiration for his latest project, Only What We Carry, not through the pursuit of big-name stars but from a personal reflection that deepened with age and fatherhood. Drawing on years of stored ideas, Adams finally connected with this story while in his 40s, as a parent grappling with the complexities of admiring artists he once revered without question. The film blends comedy and drama to explore how perceptions of artistry evolve over time.
Adams explains the genesis of his narrative by reflecting on how youthful admiration for revered creatives shifts when confronted with their complicated histories.
“When you’re in your 20s at film school, you study all these great artists. You’re encouraged to admire them, to worship them,”
he tells Variety.
“But as time passes, everybody starts reassessing who these artists are and what we’ve allowed them to be. A lot of them are complicated,”
he continues, referencing figures like Woody Allen, Picasso, and Stanley Kubrick. Becoming a father of three has deepened his perspective, leading to conversations with his daughters about what it truly means to be an artist.
Building the Ensemble and Bringing Tarantino Out of Retirement
With a filmmaking style influenced by the French Nouvelle Vague, Adams favors improvisation and character-driven stories, attracting notable talents such as James McAvoy, Martin Freeman, and Malin Akerman in past projects. For Only What We Carry, he assembled an even more distinguished cast including Simon Pegg, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Sofia Boutella, Liam Hellmann, and Lizzy McAlpine. The unexpected highlight was convincing Quentin Tarantino to come out of his directing hiatus to act in the film during an intense six-day shoot.
Adams sensed Tarantino was in a reflective space after shelving his directorial project The Adventures of Cliff Booth, which he had written but entrusted to David Fincher to direct. Riding on this moment, Adams sent Tarantino a detailed outline and a personal letter. Though initially doubtful about a reply, within two weeks Tarantino’s agent requested a Zoom meeting. Despite battling a severe psychosomatic toothache that day, Adams describes hearing Tarantino’s voice as “like Disneyland for filmmakers.”
Describing Tarantino’s involvement, Adams states,
“Tarantino proved to be an exceptional actor. He was wonderful. Curious. Collaborative. He loves actors. He loves cinema history. Being in France making something that felt inspired by Eric Rohmer excited him.”
Filming Experience in Deauville: A Collaborative Atmosphere
The entire movie was filmed over six days in Deauville, a picturesque coastal town in Normandy, which provided an almost studio-like calm as filming took place at the end of summer. Adams recalls that the quiet town square felt like a stage set, intensifying the magical ambiance of the shoot.
He likens the production environment to “summer camp,” highlighting the absence of egos and the collective drive from everyone involved.
“Everyone had breakfast together. There were no special trailers. We were all pulling in the same direction,”
Adams says. This sense of camaraderie was vital, especially given the modest budget and the limited time frame. The team worked with a flexible shooting approach that emphasized presence and organic reactions from the actors.
Innovative Approach to Improvisation and Character Development
Adams uses what he calls a “scriptment,” a 30-page scene-by-scene outline without fixed dialogue, allowing actors freedom to interpret and engage with their characters spontaneously. This method was applied to Tarantino and the rest of the cast.
In preparation, the cast held several character conversations focusing on details like their character’s childhood environment or habits, rather than strict plot points. Tarantino himself added a personal touch by choosing for his character to have a broken wrist, symbolizing emotional weight that eases as the story progresses.
“He didn’t over-explain it. He just knew it was necessary,”
Adams notes.
The shoots operated with single-camera passes rather than traditional multiple takes, encouraging actors to stay deeply present. Adams remarks that scenes could shift from two-shots to close-ups fluidly, keeping everyone alert and responsive without clear cues about when the close-up was happening.
Tarantino’s Performance and the Director’s Role in Acting
Despite Tarantino’s fame for directing and writing, Adams confirms the actor’s genuine capability in front of the camera.
“He’s an exceptional actor. Naturally gifted. I’m proud the film gives him the opportunity to show that,”
says Adams. He acknowledges that directing Tarantino was less about controlling moods and more about sustained discussions around character emotion and narrative themes.
This collaborative process reflected Tarantino’s comfort with actors and cinematic history, as well as his intrigue with the improvisational style inspired by filmmaker Eric Rohmer. Tarantino himself seemed to embrace the notion of being directed again, as shown in a Zoom meeting exchange where Adams recalls,
I’ve written quite a few questions here about the character,
and he responded,
Well, I’m going to be directed.
This moment reinforced his commitment to the project.
The Editing Journey and Future Prospects
Currently in post-production, Adams is navigating through approximately 36 hours of footage accumulated from the intensive six days of filming. The editing phase, he explains, resembles documentary storytelling, requiring the filmmaker to rewrite the screenplay in the editing room, shaping a unique final version that reflects his own voice. The completed film is expected to run between 85 and 90 minutes.
Looking ahead, Adams is eager to attract more directors who wish to explore acting through improvisation. He expresses interest in figures such as Martin Scorsese, emphasizing a desire to give director-actors room to experiment in front of the camera.
“It’s time for the directors who really want to be actors to come and improvise. Truffaut was a great actor. So many of them are frustrated actors,”
he says, suggesting this project could herald a new wave of director-performers finding their place on screen.
