Overview

• Mats Steen, a 25-year-old with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, spent his final years playing 'World of Warcraft' under the name 'Ibelin', forming deep connections and impacting lives in the virtual world.
• Upon Mats' death, his parents discovered the extent of his online life and influence, initially through thousands of condolence messages and later through 42,000 pages of archived in-game dialogue and descriptions.
• Mats' online persona, Ibelin, was a popular figure in the game, even forming a romantic relationship with another player's avatar and helping a mother connect with her autistic son through the game.
• The documentary 'Ibelin', directed by Benjamin Ree, uses Mats' blog entries, interviews, and animated reenactments of in-game interactions to tell Mats' story from three different perspectives.
• The film, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, has been picked up by Netflix and has received positive reviews for its poignant and powerful storytelling.