Ibelin is a wonderful documentary centered on Mats Steen, a late Norwegian popular gamer well known for his dedication to World of Warcraft. Although the documentary has been praised by audiences and critics alike, it recently grabbed the spotlight after Netflix acquired the rights to screen it. Ibelin has been directed by Benjamin Ree, a Norwegian director, and was first premiered at the Sundance Film Festival 2024. Reports claim the film was screened as part of the World Cinema Documentary Competition and Netflix wasted no time in acquiring the rights to it, thereby marking the streaming service’s first acquisition from the film festival.
Netflix has bought the documentary “Ibelin”. A film dedicated to the late passing of a Norwegian gamer Mats Steen who passed from a degenerative disease
His parents thought he lived a lonely and isolated life gaming, until his passing where they began receiving messages from his… pic.twitter.com/m5It93G4G1
— Jake Lucky (@JakeSucky) January 26, 2024
The film has been dedicated to Mats Steen, who unfortunately passed away at 25 years of age due to degenerative muscle disease. After the documentary’s initial release, Mats Steen’s parents recalled his memories and explained how they thought the gamer was leading a lonely and isolated life. However, once Mats passed, his parents realized how much of an impact he had as they kept receiving messages from his online friends located all around the world, especially people whom he came in contact with while playing World of Warcraft.
Director Ree says Ibelin is their favorite documentary
Now that the documentary film has been acquired by Netflix and will be officially among the streaming service’s catalog, no one is happier than the director, Benjamin Lee, himself. He first showed his gratitude towards Netflix and said, “Many of my favorite documentary films and series of all time have been distributed by Netflix.” Ree further added that he was excited and hugely honored that Ibelin would be on Netflix. He was also glad that Mats Steen’s story had a platform that could help reach millions of people from around the world.
Ibelin was Mats gamertag in World of Warcraft, when the film hoping to shed light on the positives of gaming
Read more here: https://t.co/ONuvl0cNyk
— Jake Lucky (@JakeSucky) January 26, 2024
The documentary film was named “Ibelin” after Mats Steen’s gamertag on World of Warcraft. The film itself surrounds the various tragic as well as happy parts of the gamer’s life. It includes testimonies, images, audio, and videos surrounding his life, and tells a powerful story about his diagnosis, declining health, and eventual death. The film will shed light on the lives of all gamers, the positives of gaming, and how they are not the loneliest of people although they never leave their rooms.
I like how the gaming community is almost like a second family.
— Matt (@NameeIsMatt) January 26, 2024
The gaming community never fails to support a fellow gamer/friend when he needs the most!
— Strafe Esports (@strafeapp) January 26, 2024
The online community had the best of hopes for the documentary film. They expected the film to do complete justice for Mats Steen, gamers, and the gaming community. Moreover, people widely accepted that the gaming community would never let someone feel alone and claimed it was like a second family.
