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“Due to the solemnity of the site, as well as the preservation regulations, filming on the grounds of the Auschwitz Memorial is restricted to documentary productions. Yet the demand for feature films about Auschwitz has continued to grow, reflecting the public’s deepening interest in the camp’s tragic history. Such films should play a vital role in raising awareness and deepening emotional engagement with the history of Auschwitz and the Shoah,” said dr Piotr M. A. Cywiński, the director of the Auschwitz Museum.
The new project harnesses cutting-edge 3D scanning technologies used by the expert team led by Maciej Żemojcin to preserve and protect the site’s historical integrity, while offering filmmakers a revolutionary tool rooted in accuracy and ethical storytelling - the Auschwitz-Birkenau Virtual Film Location. Auschwitz-Birkenau Virtual Film Location is the only original and certified 1:1 digital representation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau I Camp, available under license for audiovisual projects. It is designed to support the telling of the true story of the camp, enabling its use in a wide range of films—from documentaries to large-scale Hollywood productions—without compromising the Memorial’s historical integrity.
Filmmakers will gain access to a fully certified digital replica, ensuring accurate portrayals of the site. Every element of this space: starting from „Arbeit macht frei” gate, fence posts, buildings with every brick or roof tile is being meticulously documented, revealing perspectives and details invisible to the naked eye. This data will also be preserved and reprocessed over time as new technologies emerge, safeguarding the site's memory for future generations.
“Although I have devoted my professional career to photography rather than film, I have always been interested in special effects. That is why I am somewhat fascinated by the project of creating a virtual film set, a digital image of the historical site of Auschwitz, which will be made available to filmmakers,” said Auschwitz Survivor and world-renowned photographer Ryszard Horowitz, who participated in a special discussion panel at Marché du Film in Cannes.
“I was only five years old when I was in the Birkenau camp. Fragments of those events have remained with me. It is obvious to me that everything that remains of the camp must be preserved for future generations. I think this new technology will make it easier to tell stories from Auschwitz, rooted in authenticity. I am very curious about the films that will be created using it. I greatly appreciate this project,” he added.
"For a long time, the horror of Auschwitz and the Holocaust was a warning lesson, a vaccination for Europe. It also brought about significant changes, such as the creation of a new European identity. Yet, we need to allow new generations to confront the darkest moment in European history,” said film director Agnieszka Holland, who joined the discussion online.
"I am a fan of new technologies in cinema. I am not afraid of them. I think the possibilities to tell those stories again are endless. I am not afraid that the technology will diminish creativity and imagination. From a purely creative point of view, we will receive an incredible tool,” she added.
"We are now working to establish best practices for filmmaking to embrace emerging creative techniques and technologies, while prioritizing ethical and historically accurate storytelling. To support this goal, the Museum will create a film script consultation procedure, where scenarios are reviewed by a team of historians. Script remarks approval is a prerequisite for obtaining a license to use assets from the Virtual Film Location,” said Bartosz Bartyzel, the Spokesman of the Auschwitz Museum.
The Museum's involvement ensures that creative interpretations do not compromise accuracy, helping combat denial and distortion at a time when misinformation is on the rise.
The technical team has already completed a 1:1 digital replica of Auschwitz I using the most advanced spatial scanning tools.
“The data we have collected from the Auschwitz I camp not only preserves the story but also protects this place from being erased from human memory as a digital time capsule,” said Maciej Żemojcin. “Filming within a virtual version of Auschwitz allows filmmakers of all types to tell its harrowing story, ensuring the 100% authenticity of the site. We hope this will serve as the foundation for impactful film projects in the future, he added.”
The financing of the project is secured by the Auschwitz-Birkenau Foundation. "By digitising the site of the Memorial, we ensure that its history will not fade with time,” said Wojciech Soczewica, Director General of the Auschwitz-Birkenau Foundation. “This project helps preserve the relevance of the history of Auschwitz, making it accessible for future generations to explore, learn, and reflect. This project is a powerful example of how culture and technology can unite to protect our shared human history from distortion and denial,” he added.
The next steps in the project include completing the digital interiors of Auschwitz I and the exteriors and interiors of Auschwitz II-Birkenau camp and securing the entirety of the Memorial site. Anyone who wishes to support the project financially should contact the Foundation.
icensing fees will directly support the Memorial, thus supporting its global mission in commemorating all victims, fighting antisemitism and all forms of hatred, as well as raising reflection about our contemporary moral responsibility.