Fantastic Fest 2024: THE REMARKABLE LIFE OF IBELIN: A Powerful Doc Reveals a Meaningful Life

Mats Steen meant something to many people.

The documentary sharing his remarkable life with a global audience (it comes to Netflix soon) will even further deepen the impact of his brief, bright time on this mortal coil. A potent documentary for our age, The Remarkable Life of Ibelin will likely be my favorite documentary of 2024. Mats was diagnosed with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy as a young child and increasingly lived his life online as his body progressively degenerated. Mats’ loving family’s great fear and sadness was that their son would not have the chance to love and be loved, to make a difference in the lives of the people around him. And when they announced his passing at the age of 25, they had no idea how impactful Mats had been –  in a world that was just a little bit beyond their understanding and comprehension. 

The Remarkable Life of Ibelin is a phenomenal, expertly crafted documentary from Norwegian director Benjamin Ree (The Painter and the Thief, Magnus). Immaculately structured, the doc first introduces us to Mats’ story through the eyes of grieving and loving parents. Upon the discovery of Mats’ online life and the outpouring of love for the man many knew as Ibelin through his participation in an online World of Warcraft community known as Starlight, the film rewinds to tell Mats’ story through some of his own writings, online musings, and even transcripts from the servers of the games he played. Our understanding and appreciation of Mats’ circumstances and life deepen and we once again change perspective as we begin to meet some of Ibelin’s friends and compatriots from Starlight, learning about the great impact, from romance to rage to reconciliation, he had on the lives of his community, his friends, his found family. Told through traditional “talking head” interviews and custom animations done in the style of the video game, even this component is inventive and intentional.

Not only does the editing and structure of the film make it eminently watchable, it also serves to more deeply humanize Mats as his life story plays out, and grounds his story in the modern miracles of technology that made his connections possible. Everything from online relationships to accessible gaming is touched on and serves to give tools to Mats he could use to build a richness of life experience and also serves as a wake up call to the world the difference alternate expressions in online spaces and accessibility technology can make in peoples’ lives. Mats’ story may not be yours or mine, but as often happens when a family allows a gifted filmmaker honest access to a remarkable life, the highly specific nature of Mats’ illness and struggles morphs into a universal understanding of the human need to be loved and to love. The Remarkable Life of Ibelin is one of 2024’s most powerful documentaries because it celebrates a beautiful life and simultaneously challenges us all to fight for deeper connections and elevate accessibility to enrich not just the lives of the differently abled, but all of us. 

One need not understand what World Of Warcraft is (I don’t), nor have a close family member with significant physical disability (I don’t) in order to be challenged, touched, and convicted by The Remarkable Life of Ibelin. Mats struggled in his life to connect with his family, and wrestled with revealing his physical limitations to his loves and friends on the internet, where he went to be free of his limitations. But he eventually chose to trust, to share, to be vulnerable. He blogged, and at some point revealed the terminal nature of his illness with his online friends. His vulnerability was met with compassion and understanding and it seems the team behind this documentary has also honored his vulnerability with a potent film that will reach many far past his brief 25 years with us and well beyond the digital borders of Azeroth. 

And I’m Out.

The Remarkable Life of Ibelin hits US Netflix October 25th, 2024