This is joint with Adrian Langer. Let $X$ be a smooth complex projective variety. We show that every rigid integral irreducible representation $ \pi_1(X,x) \to SL(3,\mathbb{C})$ is of geometric origin, i.e. it comes from a family of smooth projective varieties. The underlying theorem is a classification of VHS of type $(1,1,1)$ using some ideas from birational geometry.