Celine Dion Documentary to Explore Her Battle with Stiff Person Syndrome

Canadian music icon Celine Dion, who is suffering from a rare neurological disorder, is raising awareness about her condition with a new documentary, titled “I Am: Celine Dion,” that will soon stream on Amazon Prime Video.

The documentary is not an expansive look at the life and times of the iconic pop singer, instead capturing a snapshot of a pivotal time in her career. It spans about a year and chronicles Dion’s battle with Stiff Person Syndrome, a rare neurological disorder that affects the brain and the spinal cord. For Dion, the illness halted her livelihood and ability to perform.

Dion didn’t go public with her diagnosis until December 2022, as she announced she was postponing her world tour due to spasms that impacted the way she walked and sang. 

“While we’re still learning about this rare condition, we now know this is what’s been causing all of the spasms that I’ve been having,” she said at the time on Instagram. “Unfortunately, the spasms affect every aspect of my daily life, sometimes causing difficulties when I walk and not allowing me to use my vocal cords to sing the way I’m used to.”

Dion stated she hopes the documentary will “raise awareness of this little-known condition.”

“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 said in a statement. “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 help others who share this diagnosis.”

Dion, one of the most successful performers in pop music history, became famous as a teenager and has sold more than 250 million albums in her career. 

Her chart-topping hits include the “Titanic” classic “My Heart Will Go On,” the Oscar-nominated “Beauty and the Beast” and romantic ballads such as “Because You Loved Me” and “It’s All Coming Back to Me Now.” 

“I Am: Celine Dion” was directed by Irene Taylor. Sony Music Vision produced the doc with Sony Music Entertainment Canada and Vermilion Films.

Taylor also produced the documentary with Stacy Lorts, as well as Julie Begey Seureau for Vermilion Films and Tom Mackay for Sony Music Vision.

Dave Platel and Denis Savage served as executive producers for Les Productions Feeling alongside Shane Carter for Sony Music Entertainment Canada and Krista Wegener for Sony Music Vision. The sale was negotiated by Sony Music Vision.