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Baz Luhrmann, director

Baz Luhrmann, director, shares the eight tracks, book and luxury item he would take with him if cast away to a desert island. With Lauren Laverne.

Baz Luhrmann is an Australian director whose debut film, Strictly Ballroom, became one of Australia’s most successful releases, and also inspired the title of the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ’s popular Saturday night dance show. He went on to direct Romeo + Juliet, Moulin Rouge!, the Great Gatsby and, more recently, Elvis starring Tom Hanks and Austin Butler.

Baz was born Mark Andrew Luhrmann in 1962. His friends nicknamed him Baz after the puppet Basil Brush because of his unruly hair. When he was five the family moved to Herons Creek, a remote settlement in New South Wales. Several years later Baz started ballroom dancing after he picked up a leaflet advertising classes while travelling on a bus.

At drama school in Sydney he devised a play called Strictly Ballroom with his fellow students and later wrote a screenplay with his school friend Craig Pearce. The film was screened at the Cannes Film Festival in 1992 where it received a rapturous response and went on to win eight Australian Film Institute awards and three BAFTAs.

Baz’s most recent film, Elvis, tells the life of Elvis Presley from the perspective of his infamous manager Colonel Tom Parker, played by Tom Hanks. The film has been a commercial success – making almost $300 million around the world to date.

In addition to making feature films Baz has directed theatre and opera productions. He lives mainly in New York with his wife and frequent collaborator, the production designer Catherine Martin, and their two children.

DISC ONE: Changes by David Bowie
DISC TWO: One by John Farnham
DISC THREE: Spanish Flea by Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass
DISC FOUR: Suspicious Minds by Elvis Presley
DISC FIVE: Puccini: La Boheme / Act 1 - 'Che gelida manina' by Luciano Pavarotti
DISC SIX: Unfinished Sympathy by Massive Attack
DISC SEVEN: Lady Marmalade by Christina Aguilera, Lil' Kim, MYA, Pink
DISC EIGHT: No Church in the Wild by JAY Z, Kanye West, Frank Ocean, The-Dream

BOOK CHOICE: War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy
LUXURY ITEM: A silk eye mask
CASTAWAY'S FAVOURITE: Puccini: La Boheme / Act 1 - 'Che gelida manina' by Luciano Pavarotti

Presenter Lauren Laverne
Producer Paula McGinley

Available now

36 minutes

Last on

Fri 2 Dec 2022 09:00
Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 4

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Music Played

  • David Bowie

    Changes

    • Classic Rock.
    • Capitol Records.
    • 14.

  • John Farnham

    One

    • The Essential 3.0.
    • Sony Music Entertainment.
    • 6.

  • Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass

    Spanish Flea

    • The Essential Herb Alpert.
    • Decca (UMO).
    • 6.

  • Elvis Presley

    Suspicious Minds

    • The Essential Elvis Presley.
    • SBME Strategic Marketing Group.
    • 10.

  • Luciano Pavarotti

    Puccini: La Bohème / Act 1 - "Che gelida manina"

    • The World Of Pavarotti.
    • UMG Recordings, Inc..
    • 15.

  • Massive Attack

    Unfinished Sympathy

    • Blue Lines.
    • Virgin Catalogue.
    • 6.

  • Christina Aguilera, Lil' Kim, MYA, Pink

    Lady Marmalade

    • Moulin Rouge (Soundtrack from the Motion Picture).
    • WM Australia.
    • 2.

  • JAY Z, Kanye West, Frank Ocean, The-Dream

    No Church in the Wild

    • Watch the Throne.
    • Roc Nation/RocAFella/IDJ.
    • 1.

Broadcasts

  • Sun 27 Nov 2022 11:15
    Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 4
  • Fri 2 Dec 2022 09:00
    Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 4

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