"I Am: Celine Dion" documentary - Official Topic

[Nmj]

Now hope they made a deal with Amazon for some from the vault releases!

 

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I’d love that, and it would be great… however I think lots of success was the illness and the morbid curiosity many general public had… I don’t think a music based documentary would do “as well”.

[ewh12]

I’d love that, and it would be great… however I think lots of success was the illness and the morbid curiosity many general public had… I don’t think a music based documentary would do “as well”.

 

If they ride this momentum, i'm sure it would! but that definitely means this year/next. I think theres an appetite for a retrospective of her career that re-evaluates her catalogue. I feel like this would be an idea that approached to her though, not one she executes from her end. The doc is already helping her catalogue so I feel Sony would benefit from doing something that helps get it more exposure.

 

In some ways, i wish this was a docuseries thats documenting this arc in her life.

Edited July 25, 2024 at 09:25 PM by ewh12

[ryba]

 

 

If they ride this momentum, i'm sure it would! but that definitely means this year/next. I think theres an appetite for a retrospective of her career that re-evaluates her catalogue. I feel like this would be an idea that approached to her though, not one she executes from her end. The doc is already helping her catalogue so I feel Sony would benefit from doing something that helps get it more exposure.

 

In some ways, i wish this was a docuseries thats documenting this arc in her life.

she has a new management team. If they are really engaged they will not let this momentum fade but will capitalise on it. I really hope so!

[TommKat22]

Small news after everything that happened Friday, but the doc is now officially “Certified Fresh” on Rotten Tomatoes. It needed 40 critic reviews to get there!

[scielle]

Nice to see Amazon still working the film and leveraging the moment -

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Edited July 27, 2024 at 10:59 PM by scielle

[Balao]

I watched the documentary last week. I thought there were too many archive videos. I love when she's talking about her dresses. We need another more comprehensive documentary which could be called "Céline by Céline". Just let her talk.

Also, I was wrong when I said that Céline didn't dubbed herself in French in "Love Again". My bad!

[Chantemoi]

Obviously Amazon is trying to cash in on all of the Olympics buzz. Good for them though - that’s exactly how to do it!

[scielle]

From Nick Midwig (the cinematographer): https://www.instagram.com/p/C-D9kYJS5u9/?igsh=MW4xZWcxNmVoaWZvMA==

https://www.instagram.com/p/C-D9EShyCxE/?igsh=MW94aW93OHU2ZW90Yg==

Edited July 30, 2024 at 10:25 PM by scielle

[lyn]

From Nick Midwig (the cinematographer): https://www.instagram.com/p/C-D9kYJS5u9/?igsh=MW4xZWcxNmVoaWZvMA==

https://www.instagram.com/p/C-D9EShyCxE/?igsh=MW94aW93OHU2ZW90Yg==

 

Oooohhhh what an epic wall of shoes we missed! Doesn’t look like her usual rolodex system… guess there’s a ladder

[tshlw]

My mom came across this article from AARP about the documentary

 

Inside the Making of the Celine Dion Documentary

The film’s director says that despite Dion’s battle with stiff-person syndrome, she lives with joy

 

By Scott Huver, AARP

 

Published June 24, 2024

 

After a three-decade-plus run in the pop spotlight, topping global music charts and shattering attendance records, Celine Dion certainly had it all, on the most epic scale imaginable. Until one day, she didn’t.

 

Whether or not you’ve been an admirer of the powerhouse French-Canadian vocalist, Amazon Prime’s often achingly intimate and bracingly intense documentary I Am: Celine Dion delivers a portrait of the icon that can’t help but inspire both empathy and respect. The film chronicles Dion’s ongoing battle with stiff-person syndrome, which has drastically impacted her ability to perform.

 

“There are a lot of relatable moments with Celine even though you may have very little in common with her,” the film’s director Irene Taylor tells AARP, noting that despite all the singer’s soaring accomplishments and the lavish luxuries they reaped, the great common leveler of a debilitating health struggle brings her down to earth in the most human of ways.

 

Bucking documentary convention, there are no talking-head sequences featuring friends, colleagues or experts offering their own insights. Much like the performances of her heyday, Dion holds the spotlight from start to finish. It’s Celine’s show, full stop.

 

Taylor says that Dion herself proposed the notion of telling her own story, unfettered by outside perspectives. “She had asked me if a film like that is possible, and I assured her ‘It’s absolutely possible, but that means you have to work a little harder because you have to be available more.’ She agreed. And there is a will in her way.”

 

“She let me know from day one of filming that she was going to be very open,” adds Taylor. “She was sick and tired of being sick and tired, and she was ready to talk about that and come to terms with how she might move forward.”

 

The film illustrates both the highs and lows of Dion’s life, liberally juxtaposing numerous archival clips from throughout her life including images of her beloved manager-husband René Angélil, who died in 2016, alongside more recent footage chronicling her current everyday experiences. She appears startlingly deglamorized, devoutly earnest and, refreshingly, far funnier than she’s ever come across before.

 

There’s her charming at-home rapport with her children; a nostalgic, self-effacing tour of a warehouse overstuffed with everything from her voluminous wardrobe collection to her children’s artwork; her frustrating bid to find new musical expression between her vocally limiting condition and the high standard she sets for herself; and a harrowing, hard-to-watch medical crisis that underscores the extent of her affliction.

 

“Some days were really very ordinary,” says Taylor. “And when difficult things were happening in front of the camera, even though the human side of me cringed a bit, I thought, ‘This is part of the deal.’ I didn’t want to make something that made people cry the whole time. At the end of the day, what she’s enduring right now, it is a sad situation, but she has so much joy in her life.”

 

Indeed, that palpable joy — in her family, in her desire to stay connected and forthright with her legions of devoted fans, and especially in her unbridled passion for music that seems to fuel her very existence even amid the obstacles she now faces — comes through in the film. And despite its current limitations, her singing voice still emerges as delightfully beautiful in one breath and hauntingly affecting in the next.

 

“She still sings every day,” says Taylor. “She sings at home. She sings when she’s responding to a question. She’s always got some funny little ironic song or reference. She’ll take a melody of one song and add the lyrics to another song, and she just smashes them together and comes up with just silliness, or something actually quite profound.”

 

Silliness, profundity and everything in between is all on display in the documentary, demonstrating that Dion’s voice — and in this case, what she has to say — remains well worth listening to.

[scielle]

My mom came across this article from AARP about the documentary

Thanks, was trying to access that when it came out but didn’t have a subscription. (Normally archive.is works but didn’t for AARP site, of all things!)

[tshlw]

Thanks, was trying to access that when it came out but didn't have a subscription. (Normally archive.is works but didn't for AARP site, of all things!)

 

Yeah just today my mom saw it on Facebook and mentioned it to me. She has a login so I was able to get it.

[Critiaslux]

Any chance that it can nominated to the Academy awards?

Successful documentary on the struggle of a beloved artist who made a comeback. Sounds what Hollywood would tend to like for the awards no ? 🤔🙂

[scielle]

Any chance that it can nominated to the Academy awards?

Successful documentary on the struggle of a beloved artist who made a comeback. Sounds what Hollywood would tend to like for the awards no ? 🤔🙂

I think it’s definitely going to be in conversation come award season, and if their performance to date is any indication, Amazon will campaign it.

[scielle]

Any chance that it can nominated to the Academy awards?

Successful documentary on the struggle of a beloved artist who made a comeback. Sounds what Hollywood would tend to like for the awards no ? 🤔🙂

I think it’s definitely going to be in conversation come award season, and if their performance to date is any indication, Amazon will campaign it.

[Ronny83]

https://variety.com/lists/2025-oscars-best-director-predictions/1236089029/

[kaye2023]

We need another more comprehensive documentary which could be called "Céline by Céline". Just let her talk.

 

 

So, a boxed set?

[catlovergirl1982]

I watched the documentary last week. I thought there were too many archive videos. I love when she's talking about her dresses. We need another more comprehensive documentary which could be called "Céline by Céline". Just let her talk.

Also, I was wrong when I said that Céline didn't dubbed herself in French in "Love Again". My bad!

 

YESSSSSSSSS I agree with you 100%!! We need a follow up to that documentary SOOOOO MUCH!! I am STILL IN LOVE WITH IT!! While on vacation I did watch it a few more times on my kindle tablet & I even got my mother to watch it as well & she loves it too!! (I went to Orlando Florida with my 2 kids, boyfriend, both of my parents & both of my boyfriends parents, so pretty much all 4 of my kids grandparents, so it was 8 of us on this trip, & we watched the documentary as well at the hotel we stayed at.)

[Jeanette]

Not sure if this has been posted here already (apologies if it has) but just come across a really interesting interview with one of the editors of the doc, where he describes his process and a bit about his experience in working on this particular documentary. It’s quite an interesting read from a different perspective and a comment he made about the doc being reflective of the aging process as well as coming to terms with a health issue, kinda solidified my own thoughts while watching the documentary in that a lot of what Celine was grieving for, in a way, was due to the declining of age and not entirely just health related or at least that’s how it came across to me.

 

https://www.deseret.com/entertainment/2024/08/03/inside-the-making-of-celine-dion-documentary/

 

 

[lyn]

Not sure if this has been posted here already (apologies if it has) but just come across a really interesting interview with one of the editors of the doc, where he describes his process and a bit about his experience in working on this particular documentary. It’s quite an interesting read from a different perspective and a comment he made about the doc being reflective of the aging process as well as coming to terms with a health issue, kinda solidified my own thoughts while watching the documentary in that a lot of what Celine was grieving for, in a way, was due to the declining of age and not entirely just health related or at least that’s how it came across to me.

 

https://www.deseret.com/entertainment/2024/08/03/inside-the-making-of-celine-dion-documentary/

 

Oh great interview thank you! They really did a good job of quickly introducing everyone, new and old fans, through those “seeds that were planted throughout the film to give the audience a sense of her personality through her performance”

[comingback]

If Sony would be smart, they would release the docu + Courage Tour concert on Bluray/DVD. But it's the rumor true that Sony will not produce Bluray/DVDs anymore?

[scielle]

Another Q&A with Irene, from DGA (Directors Guild of America). Not having much luck finding a video, audio, or even print version of it, just a small excerpt here: https://dga.org/Events/2024/Sept2024/DocSeries_IAMCelineDion-0824

 

Also, nice to see Amazon still posting about the film (this from yesterday).

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Edited August 6, 2024 at 11:11 AM by scielle

[comingback]

If Sony were smart, they would release the docu + Courage Tour concert on Bluray/DVD. But it's the rumor true that Sony will not produce Bluray/DVDs anymore? Edited August 6, 2024 at 11:34 AM by comingback

[Jeanette]

Another Q&A with Irene, from DGA (Directors Guild of America). Not having much luck finding a video, audio, or even print version of it, just a small excerpt here: https://dga.org/Events/2024/Sept2024/DocSeries_IAMCelineDion-0824

 

 

I came across this as well and thought well where is the footage? Odd 🤔

[scielle]

https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/media/release/20240805-01

 

Excerpts:

 

“Evan has graded several projects I've shot, and he's incredible when it comes to creating an organic filmic look but still holding onto the authenticity of an intimate verité documentary,” noted Midwig. “The entire film was shot with natural lighting, which was important to me to portray Celine in a non manufactured way typically seen in celebrity music documentaries, so I had to lean on Evan quite a bit to help shape the visuals. What I love most about working with him is the fact that he is truly engaged with the subjects and uses the grade to help elevate the story.”

 

“We talked about Celine’s struggle with Stiff Person Syndrome and being respectful of the physical demands it has put on her,” Anthony said. “One of the first scenes we used to help design the overall look featured Irene interviewing Celine after her physical therapy, and you can feel a raw and vulnerable side to her. In a lot of ways, this set the mood for the rest of the film.”

[scielle]

New interview with Irene, 35 min into this podcast from a California NPR station.

https://open.spotify.com/episode/0nwCmId5yB418lXCIRvSfA?si=Fs3KCty-RMiJniJwAB-kLg&context=spotify%3Ashow%3A4UAhxEsGUevLLmfVX7apsN&t=2075

[Nmj]

New interview with Irene, 35 min into this podcast from a California NPR station.

https://open.spotify.com/episode/0nwCmId5yB418lXCIRvSfA?si=Fs3KCty-RMiJniJwAB-kLg&context=spotify%3Ashow%3A4UAhxEsGUevLLmfVX7apsN&t=2075

 

Poor Irene, thinking that just because they didn’t tell her in June that Celine would performing at the Olympics… means that she was only asked after that.

 

I don’t know if it was out of superstition or something in worry if they told to many people it wouldn’t come to be, but clearly others knew, months and months ago… of course her management, Scott, Dee, etc.

 

I’m sure Irene could’ve kept a secret. She kept the SPS a secret before any of us knew.

 

[scielle]

Poor Irene, thinking that just because they didn’t tell her in June that Celine would performing at the Olympics… means that she was only asked after that.

 

I don’t know if it was out of superstition or something in worry if they told to many people it wouldn’t come to be, but clearly others knew, months and months ago… of course her management, Scott, Dee, etc.

 

I’m sure Irene could’ve kept a secret. She kept the SPS a secret before any of us knew.

 

Well, this wasn't really something that concerned Irene, to be honest. It was outside of the scope of the film, which had long been completed at that point. So it's not like Celine's team had any obligation or expectation to keep Irene abreast of all developments since. She was hired for a particular project.

But yeah, I think it was "touch and go" for a while so they probably wanted to keep the circle of those "in the know" as small as possible, so as not to get anyone's expectations up in case she had to pull out.

 

I really do wish the entire process had been documented though. I'd love to know how she prepped for that performance.

[mirage]

 

 

 

I really do wish the entire process had been documented though. I'd love to know how she prepped for that performance.

 

That would have been great. Not sure if this performance would have made the same impact as it did now.

However for some people the documentary and this performance right after feels a bit strange.

 

We know the timeline, but a lot of people don't.

They see the docu, hear her talking about her voice, see her having a episode. And what 2 months later she standing on the eiffel tower hitting the notes.

 

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[Nmj]

Irene Taylor posts the article that ties the documentary and what the olympic return.

 

https://www.instagram.com/stories/directorirenetaylor/3429726507558943717?utm_source=ig_story_item_share&igsh=MXBnY3hpNDVocjB6Zw==

 

https://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/celine-dion-goes-on?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAabiki0IokmdTfrbSuJOKDi5ncTyx5G0NL-1cbMmdIXp_6M7Lirmb8KXRNI_aem_neGmU5nNHTuMiz5v-2zLzQ