Though he has made only five films in two decades--Strictly Ballroom, William Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet, and the Oscar-nominated films Moulin Rouge!, Australia, and The Great Gatsby--Australian writer-director Baz Luhrmann (b. 1962) is an internationally known brand name. His name has even entered the English language as a verb, as in "to Baz things up," meaning "to decorate them with an exuberant flourish." Celebrated by some, loathed by others, his work is underscored by what has been described as "an aesthetic of artifice" and is notable for both its glittering surfaces and recurring concerns.

In this collection of interviews, Luhrmann discusses his methods and his motives, explaining what has been important to him and his collaborators from the start and how he has been able to maintain an independence from the studios that have backed his films. He also speaks about his other artistic endeavors, including stage productions of La Bohème and A Midsummer Night's Dream, and his wife and collaborative partner Catherine Martin, who has received four Academy Awards for her work with Luhrmann.

Tom Ryan, Victoria, Australia, has lectured in cinema studies at several universities in Australia and the United Kingdom, has been writing for newspapers and magazines for more than thirty years, and was the film critic for the Sunday Age from its inception in 1989 until 2012. He has been a regular contributor to the Age's arts pages for more than two decades and has wide experience in broadcasting.