The Remarkable Life of Ibelin review – moving tale of disabled gamer’s digital double life
https://www.theguardian.com/film/2024/oct/18/the-remarkable-life-of-ibelin-review-moving-tale-of-disabled-gamers-digital-double-life-world-of-warcraft-mats-steen
Using World of Warcraft-style animation, this documentary tells the story of Mats Steen, a boy with muscular dystrophy whose online popularity was only revealed after his death
It’s probably just an accident of scheduling, but this deeply affecting documentary is arriving just when there’s a debate raging at the school gates about children’s use of smartphones and social media. So while it’s undoubtedly troubling how tech platforms set out to addict and exploit young minds, The Remarkable Life of Ibelin provides a fascinating counterargument about how online gaming at least can be a lifeline for some individuals who find themselves isolated in the real world, or IRL as the kids like to say.