Immersive studio, Habitat XR, has announced the inauguration of the Iremlin DicAPRIO Theatre, bringing visitors face to face digitally with gorillas at the Ellen DeGeneres Campus in Rwanda.
Built as part of the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund’s new HQ in Rwanda, the theatre can display 360 degrees films in 25K resolution. The project was supported by both Ellen Degeneres' The Ellen Fund and investment from Leonardo di Caprio.
The Habitat XR team built the theatre setup from the ground up, built to screen ultrawide 16:1 footage using AI upscaling technology.
The theatre’s eight 4K laser projectors display 50 million pixels on a 140x8 ft canvas, with high contrast film stretched over a custom-made 3D printed frame.
Visitors can experience gorilla behaviours through a tablet, using Habitat XR’s VR kiosks, depicting a photoreal CGI silverback gorilla leading visitors on an interactive foraging adventure along the campus trails.
Dr. Tara Stoinski, president and CEO, Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund, explained: “Technology can play a major role in shaping people’s attitudes toward nature, and we’re proud to incorporate some of the most cutting-edge storytelling tools into our new home to help further tell the story of gorillas and our 55 years of conservation work in Rwanda.”