“The Body Is Reality” – David Cronenberg in Budapest
David Cronenberg, the world-renowned Canadian director of the body-horror genre, visited the Uránia National Film Theatre as the guest of honor of the Budapest Classic Film Marathon. At the audience Q&A organized by the NFI and SZFE, viewers heard not only about the beginnings of his career and behind-the-scenes stories from his legendary films, but also about what technology and artificial intelligence mean to him.
Cronenberg – director of The Fly, Crash, eXistenZ, and Eastern Promises – was interviewed on stage by Barbara Somossy, a recent graduate in film directing at SZFE. She asked him, among other things, why and how the human body became his central focus. Cronenberg emphasized that for him, the body is the starting point. “The body is reality,” he stated, adding that as an atheist and an existentialist, this has always been his foundation. His films, in which the body often mutates, transforms, or decomposes, are not meant to shock for shock’s sake, but to explore the fundamental questions of existence.
David Cronenberg and Barbara Somossy
Throughout the discussion, he repeatedly returned to the idea that casting is one of the most important decisions in filmmaking. “If you choose the wrong actor, it can ruin the film,” he said. He mentioned Jeff Goldblum as an example: while others were concerned that heavy prosthetics might hide his facial expressions, Goldblum nevertheless accepted the lead role in The Fly. The director also spoke at length about his collaboration with Viggo Mortensen, with whom he worked on four films and whom he called “a special colleague, a poet, a musician, and a true artist.”
Speaking of the beginnings of his career, Cronenberg revealed that he had originally intended to become a writer, just like his father. Although he was also interested in biochemistry, it was literature and European cinema – Fellini, Bergman, Godard – that eventually drew him toward film. Describing his creative method, he explained that once he begins to write, the characters take on a life of their own and often “resist” the author. “You know you’re doing well when the characters start talking for themselves,” he said with a smile. Reflecting on the practicalities of starting out, he added with irony: “I was really Machiavellian” – meaning that, at times, survival within the system required a touch of cunning.
From left to right: Attila Csáky, Lajos Koltai, David Cronenberg, Barbara Somossy, József Pacskovszky
When asked about technology, Cronenberg stated that he does not feel nostalgic for analog filmmaking. He values the freedom of the digital era far more, which he considers an enormous opportunity for young filmmakers – since even a smartphone can be used to make a professional film. “Technology is us,” he declared, stressing that artificial intelligence should not be seen as an enemy but as a new tool in the creative process.
Naturally, the conversation also touched on his iconic films, including Crash, which caused a scandal in Cannes, though a younger audience in Venice reacted with far less outrage. Regarding this, Cronenberg emphasized that cinema has no eternal boundaries, since the norms of society are constantly shifting.
Audience members also had the chance to ask questions, to which Cronenberg responded cheerfully and often with humor. He even shared, with self-irony, that he himself now lives in “a body altered by surgical interventions and implants.”
By the end of the discussion, it became clear that Cronenberg is not only the master of body horror but also a deeply thoughtful, sensitive, and remarkably modest artist who consistently uses film to explore the essential questions of human existence. For the Budapest audience, his presence was a lasting experience – at once nostalgic and forward-looking – leaving everyone with the wish to meet him again, whether on the screen or in person, should he indeed bring his next film to Budapest.
The director was also caught for a brief interview at Uránia, which you can watch by clicking on the video below:
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