I Am Céline Dion: 5 Things To Know About The Prime Video Event Documentary
On June 17, 2024, Céline Dion appeared radiant in New York at the premiere screening of the documentary film "I Am Céline Dion." The 56-year-old Canadian singer has gone through very tough trials, which she decided to share with her fans through this moving film. While awaiting its release on Prime Video on June 25, 2024, here is what we already know about this eventful documentary.
1- This film was shot on the star's property in Las Vegas.
After months of withdrawal and a hard fight against the illness that prevents her from getting back on stage, singer Céline Dion has decided to break her silence in a documentary titled I Am Céline Dion. This film, set to release on Prime Video on Tuesday, June 25, 2024, was directed by Irene Taylor and filmed in the star's private life.
In this documentary, Céline Dion opens the doors to her immense Las Vegas property where she lives with her sons and her dog. However, no other inhabitants of the house appear in the film where only the Quebec star speaks directly to the camera.
This directorial choice creates a profound sense of solitude, contrasting with archival footage, especially those of concerts where Céline was adored by massive crowds. It underscores, in any case, that the star must fight her battle against the neurological disease alone, which has kept her away from the stage and studios for several years.
2- It recounts Céline Dion's battle against the illness.
The film I Am Céline Dion is much more than yet another documentary about the career of this international star. If the singer agreed to open the doors of her luxurious villa in Las Vegas, it is above all to share with her fans her daily battle against stiff-person syndrome.
She reveals that she has been suffering from this little-known neurological disease for 18 years, which causes more or less violent muscle spasms from head to toe, including, of course, the throat and vocal cords...
During this filming, the singer was seized by a violent attack that was not censored in the editing. In this poignant sequence, she is seen with a stiff body and a face frozen in a sort of grimace, shaken by spasms and in tears.
3- The Canadian singer opens up with the sincerity for which she is known.
Céline Dion, who is known and appreciated for her candor and spontaneity, opens up unreservedly in this documentary. Having long hidden the severity of her health condition, she has decided to break the silence and lies once and for all.
In this film, she recounts having started to feel the first symptoms of her illness in 2008, but only being diagnosed ten years later. Ten years during which the singer hid her health condition and cheated to continue performing her concerts, heavily relying on medication...
The documentary "I Am Céline Dion" retraces the major milestones of this challenging journey and revisits key moments such as the cancellation of her European tour and the announcement of her diagnosis on Instagram in 2023. Through her personal story, the diva also hopes to raise public awareness about Stiff Person Syndrome, an extremely rare neurological disease that affects one in a million people worldwide.
4- The loss of her voice is the common thread of this film.
Even more than the stiff-person syndrome from which the singer suffers, the main thread of the documentary "I Am Céline Dion" is undoubtedly the loss of her voice and her efforts to regain it.
Céline, who describes her voice as "the guiding thread of her life," is going through a true identity crisis now that the illness prevents her from hitting the incredible notes that made her famous worldwide.
We see her going to the studio to record the song for the film "Love Again" and realizing that her voice has changed and she can't do what she wants. This sequence of the film is particularly tough: the singer is not satisfied with her recording, asks to start over, and ends up having a breakdown. But it is also very symbolic because, once the breakdown is over, she gets back up and starts singing "Who I Am" by Wyn Starks.
5 - Céline Dion appears determined to get back on stage.
The difficult moments and sometimes poignant sequences of the documentary I Am Céline Dion should not overshadow the message of hope that the singer wants to convey to her fans. This very personal film is a declaration of love from the artist to the stage and her audience.
Despite the pain, the spasms that block her throat, and the daily battle she has to fight against illness, the Quebec star is still standing and determined to sing. Having been only 13 years old when her first record was released and having spent most of her life on stage, she admits in this film that she misses music and people a lot. So she is doing everything she can to be able to perform again.
She does not yet know when she will be able to return to the stage, but in a recent interview with Anne-Claire Coudray on TF1, the singer affirmed: one day she will make it.
If you are among those fans who are eagerly waiting, know that the original soundtrack of the film I Am Céline Dion has been available since Friday, June 21. It consists of 20 of the singer's greatest hits as well as seven instrumental pieces composed by cellist Redi Hasa.
As for the documentary itself, you will be able to discover it starting tomorrow, Tuesday, June 25, 2024, on Prime Video.
