A groundbreaking digital replica of Auschwitz has been unveiled at the Cannes Film Festival, giving filmmakers an unprecedented new tool to accurately depict one of history’s most harrowing locations—without setting foot inside the actual memorial grounds.

Titled “Picture From Auschwitz,” the 1:1 virtual reconstruction of the Auschwitz I camp (part of the larger Auschwitz-Birkenau complex) is designed for use across film, television, and documentary projects. Created using more than 18,000 high-resolution reference images and cutting-edge spatial scanning tech, the replica is available for both Unreal Engine and traditional VFX workflows. Virtual production stages can now beam actors into LED walls displaying Auschwitz’s chilling architecture in full detail, allowing real-time camera tracking to match movement and lighting across shots.

The initiative is being overseen by Maciej Żemojcin, a filmmaker and virtual production expert, and is backed by the Auschwitz-Birkenau Museum, the Auschwitz-Birkenau Foundation, and several European film industry partners. Importantly, licensing fees from its use will support the preservation of the Memorial itself.

Unlike previous productions—like Schindler’s List, which had to build physical replicas of Birkenau’s crematoria offsite—Picture From Auschwitz offers a historically verified, fully digital environment. And unlike The Zone of Interest, which filmed just outside the camp walls, this new approach brings creators inside in a way that is both technically impressive and ethically guided.

Historical Accuracy with Guardrails

Access to the replica is not open to all. The Foundation will require a consultation process with each production team, ensuring that any use of the environment adheres to historical accuracy and ethical standards. “This isn’t just a production asset,” said Wojciech Soczewica, CEO of the Auschwitz-Birkenau Foundation. “It’s a dialogue. One that has immense value for filmmakers.”

That value is underscored by the presence of Ryszard Horowitz, one of the youngest known survivors of the camp and a renowned photographer, who traveled to Cannes to support the launch. “Given that the Museum does not allow any feature film crews into the camp, this is a powerful way to help filmmakers tell these stories—and to spark more interest in them,” Horowitz said.

From LED Walls to Physical Sets

In addition to real-time virtual production, the model can be rendered for green screen or traditional post workflows. Art departments can also use it as a highly accurate reference for physical set builds. Everything—from the infamous “Arbeit Macht Frei” gate to individual roof tiles—is being digitally reconstructed with forensic attention to detail.

For structures destroyed during or after WWII, the replica relies on Nazi architectural records to recreate historically accurate geometry and layout.

A Tool for Ethics in the Age of AI

The launch of this replica arrives at a time when AI-generated content is racing ahead, often without oversight. The creators of Picture From Auschwitz emphasize the importance of providing an authenticated and ethically responsible alternative—one that can combat misinformation and distortion, and ensure that the stories set in places like Auschwitz are grounded in fact, not fabrication.

Next up for the team: expanding the replica to include interiors of Auschwitz I and full exteriors and interiors of Auschwitz II-Birkenau. The Foundation is actively seeking €1.5 million in funding to complete the buildout.

As virtual production technologies continue to evolve, Picture From Auschwitz may represent not just a technical milestone—but a model for how memory, ethics, and storytelling can coexist in the digital age.