Deciding which American film is the greatest of all time is a seemingly impossible challenge. But that hasn’t stopped Steven Spielberg, who’s made classics like “Jaws,” “Raiders of the Lost Ark” and “Schindler’s List,” from weighing in.

Spielberg, who was born in Cincinnati, recently announced his choice on April 26 at a tribute to director Francis Ford Coppola held by the American Film Institute in Los Angeles. According to USA TODAY, Spielberg said Coppola’s 1972 film “The Godfather” was “the greatest American film ever made.”

Spieldberg made this declaration before he and fellow filmmaker George Lucas presented Coppola with the 50th AFI Life Achievement Award. He also talked about meeting Coppola in 1967 and being asked to watch and critique an early cut of “Apocalypse Now,” according to The Hollywood Reporter.

“You have taken what came before and redefined the canon of American film, and in so doing, you’ve inspired a generation of storytellers who want to make you proud of their work, proud of our work, and I always want to make you proud of my work,” Spielberg said, accoring to Variety.

The American Film Institute lists “The Godfather” as No. 2 on its list of The 100 Greatest American Films of All Time, USA TODAY adds. Orson Welles’s 1941 mystery film “Citizen Kane” took the top spot.

Where is Steven Spielberg from? A look at his Cincinnati roots

Spielberg, 78, was born on Dec. 18, 1946, in Cincinnati to Arnold Spielberg, an electrical engineer, and Leah Posner Spielberg, a concert pianist and restaurateur. Both of his parents attended the University of Cincinnati, with his mom studying at the College-Conservatory of Music.

His family moved away from the area when he was 3, and he spent his formative years in Phoenix and Northern California. But before that, his parents lived in an apartment on South Avondale’s Lexington Avenue.

Although he didn’t live here long, Spielberg’s Cincinnati roots stretch back to the early 20th century. Both of his parents are Queen City natives, having grown up in Avondale, a predominantly Jewish neighborhood at the time.

The three-time Academy Award-winning director, producer and screenwriter was also named after his paternal grandfather, who once operated a dry goods store on Third Street in Downtown Cincinnati, according to an Enquirer article from 1982. At the time the story was published, Spielberg’s paternal aunt, Natalie Spielberg Guttman, still lived in the area, along with her husband, Jack, her son, Sam, and her daughter, Debbie.