Heartfelt Moments from Céline Dion's New Documentary That Brought Us to Tears
July 26, 2024 01:51 AM
On Tuesday, June 25, Prime Video released the moving documentary "I am: Céline Dion," which delves into the global icon’s struggle with Stiff Person Syndrome.
Here are seven memorable and heartfelt moments from Celine Dion's documentary that premiered on Prime Video.
Her Revelation About Losing Her Ability to Sing In the first twenty minutes of the Prime Video documentary, Céline Dion opens up about how Stiff Person Syndrome has affected her singing. Looking unadorned and somber, she explains:
“When I breathe, my lungs are fine. It’s what’s in front of my lungs that’s rigid due to the syndrome, which makes it hard for me to sing.” She attempts to sing, but her voice falters.
Struggling with tears, she adds, “It’s very difficult for me to hear this and show it to you. I don’t want anyone to hear this... I always thought I was very talented and achieved great things. But there were times when I had to go into the studio, and I knew they wanted Céline Dion—the one who hit the highest notes ever. It’s tough to admit that.”
Reflecting on Her Childhood and Her Mother In an honest interview, Céline Dion reminisces about her upbringing in Charlemagne, Canada. She shares that her parents “sacrificed their dreams” for her and her twelve siblings.
“There were times when the fridge was empty,” she remembers. “But my mom never said, ‘We don’t have anything to eat tonight.’ Mom is a superhero. All we had was love, attention, and music. That’s what shaped me.”
3. Revealing a Life-Threatening Situation Céline Dion, known for her powerful soprano voice, faced a serious health crisis when her medication dosage increased.
“We increased the dosage,” she recounts. “Then I felt a spasm, and my voice faltered. The medication wasn’t working anymore. I was taking between 80 and 90 milligrams of Valium a day. I don’t want to sound dramatic, but I could have died. I was taking these drugs just to be able to walk and survive. One more pill, then two, then five—too many pills.”
Her reason for taking so many pills was simple: the show had to go on.
4. Admitting to Long-Term Deception Céline Dion reveals how she concealed her suffering from her fans.
“When I had to cancel a show, I had to lie about the reason. I can’t lie anymore,” she admits with sadness. “Sometimes, I’d hand the microphone to the audience and let them sing. Other times, I’d pretend the mic was malfunctioning. There were occasions when we had to stop the concert, and I never came back. The lie is too heavy on me now.”
5. The Impact of Her Farewell Message In December 2022, Céline Dion recorded a message announcing her tour cancellation and revealing the nature of her condition. The documentary offers a behind-the-scenes look at the aftermath. Once the cameras were off, Dion expresses her profound sadness, asking, “Do we have everything we need?” while wiping her tears.
6. The Challenges During a Song Recording Session While recording for the 2023 film *Love Again*, Céline Dion voices her concern about her singing ability. “I’m not sure if I’ll be able to sing,” she says anxiously. “If my voice breaks and doesn’t work, I won’t be able to do anything. If it does work, I’ll be thrilled because it means I’m making progress.”
We see her struggle at the microphone, her voice breaking despite her determined efforts. She compares her situation to an apple tree, explaining that people line up for her performance even when she feels she has less to offer.
7. Experiencing a Severe Seizure The documentary concludes with a harrowing scene of Céline Dion having a severe seizure after a strenuous recording session. Her body goes rigid, and she convulses in front of the camera, her face contorted and tears streaming down her cheeks.
This intense moment underscores the severe impact of Stiff Person Syndrome and reveals the extraordinary courage it took for Dion to share her struggle in such a raw and vulnerable way.