The Australian film director is renowned for turning classic stories into dazzling audio-visual extravaganzas. From Romeo + Juliet to Moulin Rouge! to The Great Gatsby to Elvis, Luhrmann’s work is defined by boldness and outlandish creativity. He has stretched his imagination beyond cinema, forming collaborations in music, fashion and luxury travel. This year he collaborated with Belmond and the British Pullman, a Belmond Train, to design/reimagine one of its old carriages and give its interiors a theatrical refresh filled with glamour and nostalgia, bringing the romance of one of the world’s most legendary train journeys to life through his distinctive lens.
In this edition of our Globetrotter series, he talks about his most memorable travels, including on an epic train journey with gangsters, scuba diving in the Philippines and the hotels that have his heart.
Where have you just come from?
“I went from Paris to Tokyo, and now I’m in Kyoto. Before Paris I was in New York. I’ve been on a PR tour for EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert, so at one point I was doing two cities in a day. I’m never in one place for more than about six weeks.”
Name a place that lived up to the hype
“I always say: ‘Dream in Paris, get lost in Tokyo, dance in Brazil, work in LA, Australia’s home, but live in New York.’ I have different places where I like to be discreet and invisible, because that’s where I do my writing and thinking. But I’ve loved Japan since the ’90s. Strictly Ballroom had nobody famous in it, so when it was being sold, I was contracted to be the selling point. Japan was one of the first places I went. I had a thousand people on me because the film makers were like, ‘Don’t go losing that director guy, we need him.’”
Which is your favourite city?
“It’s a bit like with movies: how can you compare? While researching a production of Alexander the Great, I visited the ancient city of Persepolis in Iran, where he burned down a palace. It was mind-blowing. It’s where the Shah of Iran threw his legendary party in 1971, spending the country’s income trying to impress everyone. What struck me was how young Iran was; I think about half of the population were under 40. They were so curious and kind.”