I Am Celine Dion

I Am Celine Dion offers an intimate glimpse into the life of one of music’s iconic performers: Celine Dion. This film serves as both an ode to her fans while simultaneously profiling one of our most revered artists.I Am Celine Dion

Irene Taylor’s documentary begins with an unsettling scene of Dion experiencing a spasm, providing an eye-opening introduction to her physical limitations caused by stiff person syndrome, which causes spasms and muscle stiffness.I Am Celine Dion

I Am Celine Dion The Story

Celine Dion is a beloved entertainer with an extensive repertoire of hits. But Taylor doesn’t shy away from depicting Dion as an individual suffering with an unexpected disability and all its pain, frustration and denial.I Am Celine Dion

She offers candid and emotional interviews amidst archived footage of her performing live onstage, explaining that her voice has become labored to sing; forcing herself is sometimes necessary; even recounting a painful spasm which almost put her in hospital was heartbreaking and eye opening, serving as a poignant reminder of how illness has altered both her performance and personal life.I Am Celine Dion I Am Celine Dion

Irene Taylor’s documentary feels less exploitative than some other recent movies about celebrities with disabilities, offering an intimate portrait of the singer as she adapts to her limitations.I Am Celine Dion

Dion takes a moment from her rehearsals for a new movie to answer her teen sons’ queries, answering honestly yet humorously while showing some degree of sadness over being unable to perform again. Later she tours her personal warehouse full of mementos from red carpet attire to crayon drawings from her children – each memory brings back fond memories.I Am Celine Dion

I Am Celine Dion The Documentary

Director Irene Taylor chose not to opt for the traditional celebrity documentary approach, opting instead to showcase Celine Dion as a private individual. Through the course of this movie, Dion opens up to her audience about her struggles with Stiff Person Syndrome (SPS) as well as about life before everything came tumbling down. The resultant film is truly heartwarming and poignant work which brings Dion closer and makes her seem approachable and human.I Am Celine Dion

Audiences will watch Dion navigate her daily life with help from physical therapy and recording sessions, including spasm-breaking spasms that frequently constrict her throat and break ribs – making singing ballads difficult – but the most terrifying scene occurs when she goes into an extended full-body spasm that appears as though she has gone into rigor mortis, leaving therapists helpless to assist.I Am Celine Dion

Though she faces many difficulties, Dion remains undeniably determined to return to performing. The documentary features montages from her incredible concerts as well as clips of her engaging with her audience. Taylor shares an especially moving clip, in which Dion lies motionless after suffering a seizure – moaning in pain while watching it happen through cell-phone video — showing just how much her fans mean to her; simultaneously it reinforces singing as her key skill and emphasises that all she wants more than anything is for them to witness her again performing again before their eyes!

I Am Celine Dion The Audience

Taylor and editor Christian Jensen set out to create a documentary that was unlike anything they’ve seen before in music docs – one that doesn’t seek to build legacies of its subject but instead allows Dion to do what she does best: open up. She shares both her flaws as well as strengths with emotional make-up-free interviews that reveal an extraordinarily sensitive woman despite missing many notes for such a vocal powerhouse; her humility and vulnerability shine through beautifully.

I Am Celine Dion also captures Celine Dion’s daily life from raising twins to cleaning out her vast warehouse of costumes to meeting with doctors and physical therapists, from raising twins to having them attend sessions with both. One such session during recording for her first post-pandemic film Love Again proved particularly troubling when Celine experienced stiffening of her muscles which lead to spasming, leading to tears and moans from both herself and her sports physical therapist.

At a New York screening I attended, this scene caused gasps from audience members. Though emotionally charged and potentially trigger-warned for those prone to anxiety, it also offers a powerful and intimate view of an iconic performer facing her most terrifying health crisis yet; Dion never seemed more human and vulnerable during her long performing career.

I Am Celine Dion The Final Words

Oscar-nominated director Irene Taylor’s documentary on Amazon Prime has quickly garnered high ratings since its release, as it chronicles singer Irene Taylor’s struggle against stiff person syndrome, an neurological condition which prevents her from touring.

As the film unfolds, it becomes evident that Dion cannot perform to her former standards; she is no longer able to move her body at times and finds it hard even holding conversations much less belting out a ballad.

But even when told that she won’t be able to sing again, this French-Canadian powerhouse doesn’t give up. She continues testing her voice by doing trills and whispers – showing off just how SPS has narrowed her lungs.

She also shows the audience an unexpected side of herself that may shock many. In one heart-wrenching scene, the star can be seen having an embarrassing full-body spasm before her therapist and later admits it was embarrassing seeing herself on video.

I Am Celine Dion offers something truly different than your average pop star documentary; instead it provides a raw and honest view of an iconic performer at her most vulnerable. An essential and inspiring film, it will show Dion for more than her voice alone.