Céline Dion is ready to give fans an inside look at her life in her new documentary.
I Am Céline Dion will hit theaters for one night only on Friday, June 21, before it drops on Amazon Prime on Tuesday, June 25. The documentary is directed by Irene Taylor and gives fans of Dion a glimpse of her life as she struggles with stiff-person syndrome.
During the documentary’s premiere in New York City on Monday, June 17, Dion gave an emotional speech ahead of the screening which she attended alongside her son Rene-Charles.
“This is by far the biggest crowd I’ve had in years, I hope to see you all again very, very soon,” she told the crowd. “I cannot believe how fortunate I am to have my family in my life … from the bottom of my heart for being part of my journey. This movie is my love letter to each of you.”
In the film, Dion gives an honest behind-the-scenes look at her highs and lows over the years.
Keep scrolling to learn more about I Am Céline Dion:
Her Health Struggles
Dion opens up about the challenges with her health as she lives with stiff-person syndrome. In 2022, the singer revealed that she was diagnosed with the rare condition and was forced to postpone several of her shows amid concerns for her health.
At one point the doc, cellphone video footage shows Dion being transported on a stretcher and being aided by a team of medical professionals.
Dion admits that she had to cancel some of her concerts due to her condition before she decided to go public with her diagnosis.
How Her Health Affects Her Music
Dion is candid about her struggles with her health and her performing abilities. She mentions at one point how challenging it is for her to sing some of her iconic power ballads now. While attempting to hit the notes, Dion catches her voice breaking on some of the notes, which leads her to tear up.
“My instrument wasn’t working so I started to elevate the medicine,” she says in the doc before sharing that she had to take 80 to 90 milligrams of Valium a day. (Dion previously opened up about her Valium use to Hoda Kotb about ahead of the doc’s release.)
Her Day-to-Day Life
In addition to the medication, Dion also gives an inside look at the physical therapy she completes to manage her disease. Due to her condition, she struggles with various spasms making daily tasks a challenge to complete.
While the cameras were running, Dion experienced a health crisis after her “brain was overstimulated.” The singer later called the harrowing moment “embarrassing” as she recovered.
Feeling Optimistic About the Future
Dion admits she’s faced challenges with performing, however, she is hopeful to return to the stage again.
“It’s the performance that counts. It’s not the song,” she reflects. “The performance is bigger than the song.”
She takes fans into her first studio session in the past two years and tries to record a song. While Dion isn’t thrilled with how it turned out, she comes back another day to give it another go.
When Dion returns to the studio following a session with her physical therapist near the end, she happily belts out a tune.
With reporting by Brody Brown
