Who is Baz Luhrmann?
Baz Luhrmann is an Australian film director, writer and producer, born in Sydney in 1962, famous for bold, colourful films such as Strictly Ballroom, Moulin Rouge!, The Great Gatsby and Elvis.
Luhrmann grew up in Herons Creek, a small town in northern New South Wales, where his father ran a petrol station and a cinema. He trained at the National Institute of Dramatic Art in Sydney.
His first film, Strictly Ballroom, released in 1992, began as a student stage play. It was followed by Romeo + Juliet in 1996, starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes, and Moulin Rouge! in 2001, starring Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGregor. These three films form his Red Curtain Trilogy.
Style
Luhrmann's films are known for lavish sets and costumes, fast editing and mixing modern pop songs with period settings. Many of his films were designed by his wife, Catherine Martin, who has won four Academy Awards.
He also directed Australia in 2008, The Great Gatsby in 2013 and Elvis in 2022, starring Austin Butler, which received eight Oscar nominations.
Luhrmann has also directed opera, including a celebrated production of La Boheme, and created the Netflix series The Get Down. Much of his work has been filmed in Sydney and on the Gold Coast.
Did You Know?
Luhrmann's 1999 spoken-word song Everybody's Free (To Wear Sunscreen) became a surprise worldwide hit.