Directors: Baz Luhrmann (1962-)

Abstract

Like Orson Welles and Vincente Minnelli before him, Baz Luhrmann brought his prodigious talent from the world of theatre to the grander canvas of cinema. A graduate of Sydney's National Institute of Dramatic Arts (NIDA), Luhrmann's reputation was established, before he directed his first film, with his productions of Puccini's opera La Bohème, Benjamin Britten's <i>A Midsummer Night's Dream</i> and Lake Lost for the Australian Opera. In 2002, Luhrmann revived his production of <i>La Bohème</i> for Broadway, winning three Tony Awards. Luhrmann's first feature film, the ballroom-dancing romantic comedy <i>Strictly Ballroom</i> (1992), was originally conceived as a play at NIDA, and later developed by Luhrmann's theatre company, the Six Years Old Company. Throughout his career, on stage and in film, he has collaborated with costume and production designer Catherine Martin, who is also his wife. Martin won two Academy Awards – for Best Art Direction and Best Costume Design – for her work on <i>Moulin Rouge!</i> (2001).