Hi, this is Daniel Garber at the Movies for culturalmining.com and CIUT 89.5 FM.

Poor Abner.

He was once a successful sculptor and a popular art prof, in love with a beautiful girl, best friends with his brother. A bearded bohemian, high on life.

Now he’s a total wreck, lonely and depressed, working as a doorman in a monkey suit. How did he sink into this pit of despair and degradation and can he claw his way back out? Or will he just end it all…?

So asks a new, dark comedy called IT WAS YOU, CHARLIE. It’s a first feature by film fest favourite writer/ director Emmanuel Shirinian, and stars rising comic actor and ACTRA award nominee Michael D. Cohen as Abner. It opens today in Toronto at the TIFF Bell Lightbox. I speak with Emmanuel and Michael about this film, its story, the character Abner, magic realism, Buster Keaton… and more!