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‘Ibelin’ Review: A Shattering Documentary About a Gamer’s Secret Life
Acquired by Netflix at Sundance, Benajmin Ree's unique documentary blends video games and real life to unearth hidden stories.
Directed by “The Painter and the Thief” helmer Benjamin Ree, the documentary marries form with function in stunning fashion, bringing to life the sprawling digital identity of its subject Mats Steen — a quadriplegic gamer who died at 25 from a degenerative disease — via his personal blog and his World of Warcraft campaigns. In an effort to re-assemble several years’ of relationships that had remained hidden from his family, Ree makes ingenious use of online text archives and recollections from Mats’ long-distance friends and, with the help of numerous World of Warcraft players and experts, animates a digital retelling of vital moments from his life within the engine of the game. Upon his peaceful passing, they had their perspective radically altered by strangers who knew him intimately, a sensation Ree re-creates by filming Mats’ parents and sister mirrored on their laptop screens, reflected within the many essay-length emails and even artworks they were sent.
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