Cronenberg describes himself as an atheist . His atheism was further explained in a September 2013 interview : " Anytime I 've tried to imagine squeezing myself into the box of any particular religion , I find it claustrophobic and oppressive . I think atheism is an acceptance of what is real . " In the same interview , Cronenberg revealed that film director Martin Scorsese admitted to him that he was intrigued by Cronenberg 's early work but was subsequently " terrified " to meet him in person . Cronenberg responded to Scorsese : " You 're the guy who made '' Taxi Driver '' and you 're afraid to meet me ? " Cronenberg has appeared on various " Greatest Director " lists . In 2004 , Science Fiction magazine '' Strange Horizons '' named him the second greatest director in the history of the genre , ahead of better known directors such as Steven Spielberg , James Cameron , Jean-Luc Godard , and Ridley Scott . In the same year , '' The Guardian '' listed him 9th on their list of " The world 's 40 best directors " . In 2007 , Total Film named him as the 17th greatest director of all-time . Film professor Charles Derry , in his overview of the horror genre '' Dark Dreams '' , called the director one of the most important in his field , and that " no discussion of contemporary horror film can conclude without reference to the films of David Cronenberg . " Cronenberg received the Special Jury Prize at the 1996 Cannes Film Festival for '' Crash '' . In 1999 , he was inducted onto Canada 's Walk of Fame , awarded the Silver Bear Award at the 49th Berlin International Film Festival . and that November received the Governor General 's Performing Arts Award , Canada 's highest honour in the performing arts
1996 Cannes Film Festival
1996 Cannes Film Festival
David Cronenberg