Filmmaker Xavier Dolan, whose features include the Cannes Jury Prize-winning Mommy, directed, edited and served as a producer on Adele’s video “Hello,” the first track from her forthcoming album “25.” Producing the short–which stars Adele and Tristan Wilds (The Wire)–were Believe Media, Sons of Manual and Metafilms.
Adele and Dolan met in London this summer, where Dolan was one of the first people to hear “Hello.” Without any preconceptions, he immediately saw the imagery that he wanted to shoot, and the resulting video adheres almost identically to that initial vision. In September, Adele came to Quebec, where Dolan called upon his feature film family to shoot the 6:07 video as he would one of his films. Part of the film was shot on IMAX, the first music video ever to use that format.
The “Hello” video alternates past and present; Adele in the present reflecting on a relationship, and the viewer seeing those remembered scenes from her perspective. As if in a century-old photograph, Adele is seen in the romantic haze of reflection, contrasted with the dynamic, quivering energy of life with him as it was actually lived.
“It was a privilege to direct the music video for Adele’s beautiful, heartbreaking song ‘Hello,’ said Dolan. When I first heard it, all the images appeared clearly in my head – and her trust and generosity allowed me to work with abandon artistically and emotionally, like she always does. It made me extremely proud.”
