I Am: Celine Dion

I am: Celine Dion is a glimpse into the life of mega star and super talented Canadian singer, Céline Dion. This documentary primarily focuses on her struggles with health issues that greatly impact her personal and professional life.

If you are looking for a comprehensive documentary that covers her entire life, you will be disappointed as this primary focuses on her battle and the impact of having Stiff Persons Syndrome. Her upbringing, road to stardom, relationships with friends and family, etc. Are only ever briefly glossed over.

However, it does a great job showing how illness can greatly limits oneself, not only physically but also how it can have even more devastating consequences on ones mental health, and in the case of Celine, whose identity is very much wrapped up in being a singer and performer, what that means when those things are taken away.

In a way this speaks to the aging process, how we cope when our bodies betray us and no longer able to do what they once were able to. It also speaks about self identity. When your self identity is wrapped around just one or two things (ie. A job, being a mother, being famous), what happens when those things change or are taken away. What is left?

It is truly heart wrenching seeing Céline Dion suffer through this disease (and the camera doesn't shy away showing her suffering and in pain) and while she is constantly surrounded by support staff, she seems so alone.

I praise Céline Dion for agreeing to showcase not only her highs but also her lows and when she is most vulnerable. She is regularly seen in a raw unglamourous light (no make-up, hair just pulled back, and wearing casual lounge outfits), talking about upsetting and emotional subjects, and even at one point showing unflinching footage of her suffering through an attack where she is at her most vulnerable and obviously in considerable pain in discomfort.

For me, a documentary is all about being raw and authentic. This is the definition of a documentary!

It is so sad to watch a person with a fire inside her, but she can't do what she wants. Imagine being thirsty and you are in a desert with no water, it's like dying. SPS is pure hell. I feel so sorry for Celine and the struggle and pain she is going through.

You can feel through the screen that she wants to sing but can't. The fact that she can't sing like she used to due to SPS is heartbreaking. The whole situation going on with Celine is heartbreaking.

But, we should not forget that other people around the world are suffering from SPS too, and going through the same pain and struggles. We shall also not forget that Celine has an amazing team around her. Her team is helping her and trying to make this difficult journey as easy as possible for her. The fact that she is rich enough to afford a team that will take care of her and make sure that she has everything she needs is worth a lot. It doesn't take away the pain of course or the struggle but it takes away a little bit of the worry for her about money or healthcare issues or whatever issue.

Imagine being a normal person with a normal income and dealing with SPS.

Celine should be happy she has the financial security to deal with this. It helps and is comforting In some ways.

At least she doesn't have to worry about certain things while dealing with this SPS.

Anyhow this documentary was amazing and it give us a view of how it is to live with SPS. How devastating it is.

It's like being in a prison of some sort. You try to escape this prison but can't. I feel SPS is like a prison sentence of some sort.

I'm glad she felt comfortable enough to be herself in this documentary. To educate and raise awareness about SPS.

She is a brave woman! She is truly amazing and has done amazing things in life. I'm glad she felt comfortable enough to show this side of her and her life.

100% a must-watch for sure!

No one would be surprised or resentful if a performer facing such drastic health issues chose to retreat entirely from public view. It is brave of Dion to reveal this struggle in such a raw and honest manner, and no doubt it will earn her sympathy from the fans she's so afraid to disappoint.

But it was clear to me that worse than this terrible disorder, what hurts her is her loss of identity as a performer. From such a young age, that's all she's known.

We saw a lot of physical therapy in this piece. However, I really wished we saw her in behavioral health therapy too. I think that is also as serious here--her loss of identity.

And as I realized that was the main issue, all I could see in this piece was another performance that she needed to deliver, and I felt uneasy about that. Her anxiety was giving me anxiety. She doesn't need to do this for her fans. It's ok, she can put her feet up, and write, design clothes or shoes or whatever, or paint, and everything else she missed out over the decades. I wish she could lower her perceptions of what she owes people--she doesn't. It's really ok to rest now. She deserves it.

I wish her some peace and ease, so very much.

After watching this documentary, I was deeply moved and saw a more genuine side of Celine Dion. Her dedication, persistence, and hard work have earned her the success she enjoys today.

However, seeing the ending left me feeling somewhat distressed. In fact, I believe there is nothing more precious than a healthy life. If Celine ever has the chance to read this comment, I just hope she takes care of her health and doesn't overexert herself by insisting on continuing to sing. Perhaps it's better to say, I am convinced that even if she just walked on stage to say hello, countless fans from over the years would still buy tickets to see her.

It's sad to see some of these negative reviews and some people's blatant jealousy and pettiness towards this woman's lifestyle. These reviewers don't realize that their reviews are more of a reflection of themselves than the thing they are reviewing. Celine lives in a mansion and has a very privileged life; you knew this going into the documentary. She's Celine Dion. Were you expecting her lifestyle to be relatable?

This is a raw documentary that focuses on her illness and her passion for music which is clearly displayed in this project. Would you be able to expose yourself the way she did: having a crippling seizure for the world to see, breaking down in tears because your career, your passion and very life is at risk of being destroyed? She worked hard for her wealth-30+ years. If she lived in a small townhouse and furnished her house with furniture from Target would that make you feel better? Sad, sad people.