Watch Adele's Hello beautifully cinematic music video
The autumnal, sepia-toned Hello video brings to life Adele's song, which Xavier describes as "beautifully heartbreaking". He says that the idea for video came to him instantly after hearing the song for the first time.
"When I first heard it, all the images were already running by so clearly in my head," says Xavier, who is enthusastic about the creative freedom he was given on the project.
"It was a great experience," he says. "Adele allowed me to dive into this full throttle, so I could abandon myself artistically and emotionally, like she always does. It made me extremely proud."
The director also praised Adele as an actress.
"Being on set with her was wonderful," says Xavier. "And the thought of directing her in the 'acting' aspect of the term was exciting. I discovered that she's a very talented actress - no matter what she'll tell you."
Xavier's 2014 film Mommy was the co-winner of the 2014 Cannes Jury Prize. It stars Anne Dorval as widower struggling with her son's mental health issues. His next film The Death and Life of John F. Donovan stars Kit Harington, Jessica Chastain, Susan Sarandon and Kathy Bates,
The music video for Hello also features Tristan Wilds, best known for playing Michael Lee in Seasons 4 and 5 of The Wire.