Logline
When gamer Mats Steen died at age 25, his parents mourned what they thought was an isolated life. It was only once they had access to his blog that they discovered the deep friendships he created virtually before passing away from a degenerative muscular disease. The Remarkable Life of Ibelin is a transformative journey proving how community can transcend the physical world.
About The Remarkable Life of Ibelin
When Norwegian gamer Mats Steen died at age 25, his parents mourned what they thought was an isolated life. It was only once they had access to his blog that they discovered the deep friendships he created virtually before passing away from a degenerative muscular disease. They were unaware that Mats had long been leading a vibrant digital life that had left a profound impact on a community of fellow gamers.
The film takes us on a journey through the breadth of Mats Steen’s adventurous online life, introducing us to Ibelin, his charismatic World of Warcraft persona. Through reconstructed animated moments from Mats’ gameplay, narrated entries from his blog, and interviews with people who knew him as Ibelin, a picture of a remarkable young man emerges, one that underscores how community and soulful relationships can transcend the boundaries of the physical world.
My Thoughts
This family-oriented documentary is worth adding to your list if you like watching these kinds of films, or even if you don’t. I would recommend it because it was touching to see how this family learned so much about their son’s life after his death. Even for me, it reminded me that we don’t know the lives of the people who live in our daily lives and the lives they are living online. We are clueless and in the dark to some of those lives and some could be just as dramatic and important. The only bit of sadness to his story was that he could not be a physical member of his community, but it helped save his life for a long time.
The documentary touches on so many different pieces of his life, friendships that were lost and repaired, his time in the gamer world, going through his disease, time with his family, and even touching on love in the game. Be sure it’s on. your next-up list on Netflix.
Nickida
Nickida is a first-generation Trinidadian American wife and mother of four. She enjoys sharing recipes from her childhood growing up in Trinidad with her readers. Nickida has a son with Autism and shares posts around traveling with a child with special needs to help other families like her own. She loves television, movies and is a true 80's baby.
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