Baz Luhrmann

Born: 17th September 1962
Where: New South Wales, Australia

Strictly Ballroom, Rome + Juliet and Moulin Rouge! all adhere to a specific style developed by Baz and his collaborators that he has dubbed "the Red Curtain".

According to the filmmaker, "the Red Curtain" has certain specifics - first, the audience knows how it will end right from the start; second, the storyline is thin and simple; third, the world created in the film is one of heightened reality; and fourth, there is a specific device driving the story, whether it be dance, or characters bursting out in song.

Bazmark Anthony Luhrmann spent much of his childhood living in the small rural town of Herron's Creek where his father has a part time job operating the local movie theatre. It was there that young Baz (a nickname bestowed by his dad) became enthralled by the power of storytelling.

While still in his teens, Baz decided to pursue a career as an actor and landed his first film role in Winter of Our Dreams. A couple of TV roles followed before he decided to enrol at the prestigious National Institute of Dramatic Arts (NIDA).

Baz nurtured an idea for a one-act piece which he called Strictly Ballroom and in 1986, he staged a 30-minute version.

Having left NIDA, he formed a theatre troupe, the Six Years Old Company, which presented a revised and expanded version of Strictly Ballroom, that proved a popular success and toured Australia.

In 1992, Baz made the jump to the big screen with a film version of Strictly Ballroom. The film was a box-office hit in Australia and winner of eight Australian Film Institute Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director.

Fox took note of Baz and signed him to a three-year, first-look deal which allowed the filmmaker to make his revisionist take on William Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet, with Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes.

Moulin Rouge! premiered at Cannes to appreciative audiences but a divided critical response. The film's lavish production design, colourful costumes and overblown style appealed to many, while others found fault with the thin plot. But few had quibbles over the stars - Nicole Kidman, Ewan McGregor and Jim Broadbent - who did their own singing.