The Remarkable Life of Ibelin Review | A Moving Ode to Community

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As I delved into the captivating tale of Ibelin, a character whose digital existence transcended the boundaries of pixels and screens, I found myself utterly moved by this remarkable story. It serves as an inspiring reminder that our virtual connections can often be more profound than we initially perceive.

The Extraordinary Journey of Ibelin is a Norwegian documentary that recounts the story of Mats Steen, a 25-year-old who tragically passed away in 2014 due to complications from Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). Contrary to his family’s belief that he lived a solitary life confined to their basement, they were unaware that he led an entirely different existence, forging friendships online through the widely played game, World of Warcraft. Mats’ character in this virtual world was known as Ibelin, a formidable nobleman who undertook daily exercises, worked as a detective, and was quite the charmer among the ladies.

First known as “Ibelin“, the movie was renamed post-Netflix acquisition and debuted on January 19, 2024, at the Sundance Film Festival within the World Documentary Competition. It eventually won both the Audience Award: World Cinema Documentary and The Directing Award: World Cinema Documentary. Given its captivating storyline, it’s no wonder why. “The Remarkable Life of Ibelin” delivers an emotional account of friendship, self-discovery, and the uniting power of a video game, notably the popular “World of Warcraft” series, through visually stunning depictions that beautifully capture the unique allure of these games.

The Duality of Mats and Ibelin

The core theme in “The Remarkable Life of Ibelin” is a focus on duality. This movie not only explores Mat’s two personas – himself and his character, Ibelin, within the “World of Warcraft” universe – but also employs two contrasting filming styles. Initially, it adopts a conventional documentary approach, incorporating interviews, old family footage, and images to set the stage from Mat’s family’s perspective, particularly his parents, Robert and Trude. Subsequently, it delves into the viewpoint of Mat himself by presenting events as depicted in emails he received from his “World of Warcraft” community.

In this creative approach to documentary filmmaking, the filmmakers reenact over 42,000 pages of Mats’ ‘World of Warcraft’ gaming records using his character, Ibelin, within an impressively realistic representation of the famous ‘World of Warcraft’ graphics. This deviates from conventional documentaries, lending a distinctive visual style to the movie while simultaneously immersing viewers in Mats’ perspective. Although the graphics of ‘World of Warcraft’ are animated, these segments are presented as equally authentic as the live-action scenes. Given that this is Mats’ story and he had such a deep connection to this world, it seemed fitting to portray his journey within the realm he cherished so dearly and where he felt most like himself.

In addition to the characters portrayed, the film features a narrator who sounds much like Mats, reading excerpts from his blog “Musings of Life.” This allows viewers to gain insight into Mats’ personal views of the events they have already witnessed through his parents’ perspectives. Through these blog entries and gaming logs, even though Mats is no longer present, he effectively gets to express himself within his own narrative.

Changing Lives in the World of Warcraft

Through friendships forged within games or by bringing a mom and her autistic son closer using “World of Warcraft”, Ibelin left a profound impression on those around him. By the end of the movie, as his two spheres of life converged at his funeral, it was impossible not to feel moved by the heartfelt tribute.

The animated portions are captivating, skillfully using the restricted movement found in the World of Warcraft graphics to create a delightful impression. Regardless of whether you’ve played World of Warcraft, chances are you’re familiar with its distinctive visual style, so scenes centered on Ibelin may evoke a sense of nostalgia for many viewers. It’s remarkable how swiftly the movie draws viewers into the World of Warcraft; it’s difficult not to become invested in the characters’ adventures, romances, and friendships.

It’s exciting to see the TV series “The Remarkable Life of Ibelin” attempting to emulate the distinctive visual style that video games, particularly “World of Warcraft“, are known for. Compared to the 2016 “Warcraft” movie, it seems to be doing a much better job at encapsulating the game’s aesthetic and mood.

Through the character of Ibelin in World of Warcraft, Mats found an opportunity to embody his ideal self. The film reveals that whenever Ibelin logged in, Mats’ friends would often see him running – something that Mats himself was physically unable to do. In the game, Mats experienced a life he had long desired but his body prevented him from living. Ibelin wasn’t just Mats’ virtual persona; he was the true self that Mats yearned to express to the world.

Leaving the World a Better Place

There is often a notion that online friends are not “real,” and that to truly know someone and be friends, you need to be able to interact with them physically. Yet, in a post-COVID-19 world where millions of people found themselves isolated and quarantined away from people, online games like World of Warcraft provided people with a sense of community and connection in an uncertain time. While it is hard to look at online fandom spaces and not just think of toxicity, The Remarkable Life of Ibelin reminds us of the value of online spaces. While much has been said about how our increasingly digital world has left us more isolated, it also has had the ability to connect people.

The film’s true power is tapping into a basic emotion everyone feels: our desire and hope that we matter. Likely, everyone has thought about what will be said about them when they pass on and who will be there to mourn for them. What will be said about us at our funerals? Will anyone miss us? The Remarkable Life of Ibelin lives up to its title, as it shows the truly remarkable life of a seemingly normal man who had such a substantial impact on so many people in profound ways. We should all be so lucky, and if we are honest with ourselves, we are likely at least one important person who somebody will miss. The Remarkable Life of Ibelin is streaming on Netflix below:

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2024-10-29 04:03