In the wake of his infant son’s terminal cancer diagnosis, designer Ryan Green took a unique approach as a means of coping with his family’s new reality, creating a video game about the harrowing experience. The result That Dragon, Cancer, will forever change the way most people look at gaming.

Detailing the stages of the project from inception to execution, this moving documentary pulls audiences into the day-to-day plight of the Green family. From dialogue recording studios to video game conventions, the concept of the game deeply affects its players and all of those who help to create it. The film closely examines that creation, opening a window into the sorrowful inspiration that often contributes to memorable works of art. The film gives us an insider’s look at the evolution of a medium, but at the heart of it all is a father and his family, struggling to share their fears, heartache, and joy with anyone willing to play the game and step into their shoes.

—Loren Hammonds