Virtual Vistas

On July 4, 2001, Tito Dupret, a 30-year-old Belgian filmmaker and multimedia director, embarked on a multi-year mission to photograph all 730 UNESCO World Heritage sites, using a sophisticated digital camera and software to create 360º spherical “virtual reality” (VR) films. The purpose of this endeavor, for which Dupret formed his own nonprofit organization, is to document the sites for posterity and also to raise awareness of their fragility, importance, and irreplaceability. ICON caught up with Dupret, who is currently working in Zhongshan, China, to discuss his ambitious undertaking.