LIVED LIFE ONLINE: Mats Steen. Photo: Bjørg Engdahl / Media operators
The Netflix-acquired documentary about the disease-stricken gamer who died at the age of 25 is getting rave reviews after its premiere at the Sundance festival.
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- The film “Ibelin”, about Mats Steen who died aged 25 from a muscle disease, is getting rave reviews.
- Steen’s parents were not clear about their son’s social life online until the condolences poured in after his death.
- The film deals with Steen’s life online through “World of Warcraft” and the friendships he made there.
- It is praised by critics for its daring idiom and emotional power.
- Netflix has entered into an agreement to stream the film after cinema screenings.
Sea view
– Absolutely fantastic, says director Benjamin Ree on the phone from Salt Lake City – on his way to Robert Redford’s lunch for the directors at the Sundance Film Festival.
Rees’ new film “Ibelin” premiered there on Thursday. The launch has so far resulted in an agreement with Netflix, which will stream the film after it has finished on the big screen.
“Ibelin” is named after the “World of Warcraft” avatar of Mats Steen (1989-2014), who died aged 25 from Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) – a rare genetic disorder that causes muscle wasting in boys.
After their son’s death, his parents discovered that he had had a contented life online and made friends all over Europe, via the game “World of Warcraft”.
The story of Steen was first told by NRK in 2019. It became the state channel’s most read online story.
- For the record: Benjamin Ree works at VGTV, which co-financed the film.
– Masterpiece
Now several major American media have reported on “Ibelin”, among them the entertainment giant Variety.
Their reviewer calls the film “a moving, multifaceted masterpiece”, and praises Rees’ mix of form and content.
The critic believes that “Ibelin” is defining in its deep dive into the modern online reality and relationships you form online.
– A brilliant example of how filmmaking – like a person’s digital footprint – can be a form of immortality that alleviates even the most devastating of losses, writes Variety.
TRIBUTES: Director Benjamin Ree. Photo: Javad Parsa / NTB
New York magazine’s entertainment website Vulture pays tribute to the film’s “strangely ingenious” way of telling Mats Steen’s story – in three ways, from three different emotional perspectives.
– Ree is a master at documenting the imagined possible, half-lived life, says the reviewer, and continues:
– “Ibelin” is an overwhelming film, ugly-grinning all the way through. It starts with the most indescribable of tragedies and then, as it winds its way back through Mats’ life, becomes a bittersweet story of strength, acceptance, and even joy.
– Gave me tears
The Hollywood Reporter are more critical of “Ibelin”. Their reviewer is unsure whether what online gaming has to offer in terms of interpersonal relationships is really something people need to be informed about anymore – and whether those who may not be clear about it will feel like having this told by a documentary film.
The critic especially praises the part of the film that deals with a mother and her autistic son, who believes they got in better contact with each other with the help of Mats Steen and his “World of Warcraft” avatar, after which the film is named.
The last ten minutes of the film, mainly from Steen’s funeral, are also highlighted.
– They brought me to tears and emphasized the emotional main points of the documentary. But at the same time, they made me even more convinced that it is the story that packs a punch, and not really the documentary.
The director himself says he is satisfied with both praise and criticism.
– It is a film that does something new. I didn’t expect only good reviews. I want both the film’s subject matter and the film’s form to be discussed. Personally, I like films that also divide the critics. Those are the films I like to discuss, says Benjamin Ree.
The film had its Norwegian premiere at the Tromsø International Film Festival on Friday, and will be released in cinemas on March 8.
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Published: 20.01.24 at 18:54
2024-01-20 17:54:47
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