Celine Dion Documentary Captures ‘Intense’ Medical Attack
By Movieguide® Contributor
Viewers who watch Celine Dion’s documentary I AM: CELINE DION will witness the effects of the rare neurological disorder Stiff Person Syndrome as the megastar suffers a full-body spasm attack during a physical therapy session.
The attack is soon after a recording session of her new song “Love Again,” when her legs start to cramp, and soon, she is unable to speak or move. Dion is given benzodiazepine for anxiety and for the muscle spasms and is later able to sit up and talk again.
“It was the most extraordinarily uncomfortable moment in my life, as a filmmaker but also as a mother, as a fellow human, because I didn’t know what was happening,” Irene Taylor, the documentary’s director, said.
The incident was so “intense” Taylor recalled that she wasn’t sure if she should continue filming but remembered what Dion told her previously as she was documenting the singer’s journey.
“[Céline] gave me the strength to just keep going. We had been filming together for many months at that point, so she had really trained me, ‘Just keep going. If I have to stop you, I’ll stop you,’” Taylor said in an interview with Hoda Kotb.
Her physician, Dr. Amanda Piquet, who is helping the 56-year-old manage the disease explained more of what happens when the body experiences a body spasm like Dion’s.
“It’s not a seizure,” Piquet said. “This is a spasm that is occurring, and patients are aware of what’s going on. There’s a lot of anxiety, there’s a lot of panic, your adrenaline’s rushing.”
Environmental factors as well as emotional stress can bring on spasms in SPS patients. In the documentary, her medical team told Dion the episode was likely brought on by her recording session earlier. This brought concern over how she could be able to handle singing on stage in front of thousands.
Despite the uncertainty presented by the disorder, Dion expressed hope for her future and determination to perform on stage again.
“I hope that we’ll find a miracle, a way to cure it with scientific research, but for now I have to learn to live with it,” she told Vogue France. “Five days a week I undergo athletic, physical and vocal therapy. I work on my toes, my knees, my calves, my fingers, my singing, my voice.”
“I have to trust myself. I have to trust my team. I have to trust my voice. I have lived tough things, but we all do,” she said on the TODAY show. “But lots of joy as well. I’m about to live a lot of happiness.”
I AM: CELINE DION debuted on Amazon Prime Video on June 25. The documentary is an intimate look at the “Power of Love” singer’s life and struggles with SPS in hopes of raising awareness of the disease.
“This last couple of years has been such a challenge for me, the journey from discovering my condition to learning how to live with and manage it, but not to let it define me,” she posted on social media. “As the road to resuming my performing career continues, I have realized how much I have missed it, of being able to see my fans. During this absence, I decided I wanted to document this part of my life, to try to raise awareness of this little-known condition, to help others who share this diagnosis.”
The multi-Grammy award winner received a standing ovation at the New York premiere of her movie as she thanked her family and fans.
Movieguide® reported:
“This is, by far, the biggest crowd I’ve had in a few years,” the singer said while introducing the movie to a crowd in New York. “I miss that.”
I AM: CELINE DION shows her battle with stiff-person syndrome. Dion shared her diagnosis in 2022, when the condition’s symptoms caused her to have to start canceling shows.
Dion thanked her sons — René-Charles Angelil, 23, and twins Nelson and Eddy, 13 — for their “daily love and support.”
She also thanked her fans, saying, “Your presence in my journey has been a gift beyond measure. Your never-ending love and support over all these years have delivered me to this moment.”
“I cannot believe how fortunate I am to have my fans in my life. Thank you,” Dion continued. “Thank you to all of you from the bottom of my heart for being part of my journey. This movie is my love letter to each of you.”
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