Thank You For Playing

When Ryan Green’s one-year-old son, Joel, was diagnosed with cancer, doctors said he had four months to live. The unfathomable news hit Green and his family hard. Instead of living each day burdened by the inevitable outcome, they decided to make every moment count. For Green, his therapy came in the somewhat unlikely form of video games. As a game designer, he found a creative way to express his feelings. He channeled his family’s experience into an extremely profound game called That Dragon, Cancer. His wife and sons got involved, too, lending their voices and likenesses to the project. Joel defied the odds his doctors had set for him; in the film, he’s reached the age of five. However, as the game comes together, Joel’s health starts to rapidly decline. THANK YOU FOR PLAYING is a unique and intimate look at a family dealing with terminal illness. Like Green’s brilliant game, the documentary is a touching tribute to a life cut way too short. –E.F. Thank You For Playing is part of a multi-platform project that also includes the videogame That Dragon, Cancer, featured in the Perspectives exhibition.