Why Celine Dion insisted on keeping scary seizure footage in new documentary

26 June 2024, 12:28

Celine Dion's Prime documentary showed a painful incident where she experience a frightening seizure which lasted 10 minutes.

Celine Dion's Prime documentary I Am: Celine Dion has just dropped, and fans were left shocked by the scene of the superstar singer undergoing at brutal 10 minute seizure caused by her Stiff Person Syndrome.

The moving film documented Celine's health journey after she was diagnosed with SPS and forced to cancel her world tour. While touching on her close relationships with her sons and siblings following the death of her husband René Angélil, viewers got to witness the 'It's All Coming Back to Me Now' songstress experience a terrifying episode.

Cameras captured the moment Celine underwent a frightening seizure, which was included in the final edit of the documentary. Fans were surprised that the Eurovision winner allowed this intimate moment on film, however documentary director Irene Taylor has revealed the real reason why Celine chose to keep that striking moment in the movie.

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During an interview with The New York Times, Irene explained: "She [Celine] cried through most of the film. I was watching her out of the corner of my eye, but I was a little embarrassed to watch because that was such an intimate moment for her."

Irene continued: "The first thing she said to me was, ‘I think this film can help me.’ Then she said, ‘I think this film can help others understand what it’s like to be in my body.’ And then she said, ‘And I don’t want you to cut out that scene, and don’t cut it down.’ And by ‘that scene,’ we knew what she meant."

Speaking to Variety, Irene opened up about filming the emotional moment, telling the publication: "Statistically, the likelihood that would happen while my camera was rolling is extraordinarily rare. Here we have a woman who is a rarefied singer, and an icon who has a rarefied, orphan disease, and then this really rare thing happens while my camera’s rolling."

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The director added: "No one expected that to happen. We never discussed, 'What if that happens, what do we do?' Never even had that conversation, because we just assumed it wouldn’t happen."

"It really was not my place to help her physically because she had people there. And I realised, ‘You know what? I have a job to do, too. I don’t know what we’re gonna do with this footage, but I’m just gonna keep filming, because I have been filming with Celine for eight months, and not only has she never asked me to stop filming, she specifically told me, 'Do not ask my permission, just do it.' So I just did my job in that regard."

Taking to X, formally known as Twitter, viewers went on to praise the 'My Heart Will Go On' singer.

One user wrote: "When Celine Dion started singing after going through a 10 minute spasm induced seizure in her documentary. She's so strong and resilient!"

Another added: "My heart is utterly shattered by this documentary. To know she allowed her seizure to be filmed so it might help others tells you all you need to know about Celine as a person. As someone with a chronic pain condition. It was painful to watch."

While a third stated: "The clip of Celine Dion having a seizure is so heartbreaking & sad. She’s the one person that doesn’t deserve nothing bad to ever happen to her."

Following the release of her emotional documentary, Celine took to social media to announce she was released a brand new song.

Titled 'Love Again', the ballad tells the singer's story of strength and refusal to give up amid her health woes and offers fans an insight into how Celine is currently feeling.

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