The Remarkable Life of Ibelin

The Remarkable Life of Ibelin pleases as much as it surprises. Some people lead disreputable secret lives which they hide for obvious reasons. That is decidedly not the case for Mats Steen, the subject of Norwegian director Benjamin Ree’s wonderful documentary, The Remarkable Life of Ibelin. That Ibelin is an appealing gamer’s persona is merely the first surprise, especially given the internet’s world of toxic, exploitive frauds. Instead, Ibelin offers a warm, supportive, powerful character within the World of Warcraft. That gamers’ environment of friendship and love, action and beauty contrasts shockingly with the young man who created that internet presence.