The Remarkable Life of Ibelin

(2024)

★ 8.1 IMDb · 161 votes

Genres: Documentary, Animation

Year: 2024

Runtime: 103 мин

Country: Norway

Director: Benjamin Ree

Cast: Mats Steen, Robert Steen, Trude Steen, Mia Steen, Lisette Roovers, Kai Simon Fredriksen, Mikkel Riknagel Nielsen, Xenia-Anni Nielsen, Rikke Nielsen, Tor Bjørn Torp

Plot

The secret life of a young World of Warcraft gamer is vividly reimagined when his online friends contact his family after his death.

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.