40 Hours In The Surf To Process A Tragedy

Men being inept at describing how they’re feeling is a well-established and pretty universal cliché, but Australians take it to the next level.

In fact, there’s an entire patois dedicated specifically to ambiguity. 

“How ya going?” “Ahh yeah, nah, nah pretty good ‘ay.” “Can’t complain.” “Wouldn’t be dead for quits.” (“Good as gold” for our Kiwi cousins; they’re pretty good at it too) etc. Meaningless colloquial drivel. Placeholder language designed to deflect and avoid the question.

After losing his father to suicide 10 years ago, Sydney-sider Blake Johnson knew that despite what they might say, plenty of blokes aren’t “pretty good ay”. So he surfed for 40 hours straight and made a film—In Pieces Together—to encourage them to stick their hand up and ask for a little help if needed.

The film’s written and directed by Macario De Souza of Bra Boys fame, and follows Cronulla native Blake as he prepares to spend two whole days in the ocean (40 hours) to commemorate his father’s death. The supporting cast are an eclectic crew of sportspeople, artists, musicians and just regular blokes, who’ve all had their lives touched by mental health struggles and suicide. 

The ‘In Pieces’ part of the film is an effective little narrative technique that sees interviewees have a little puzzle piece tattooed on them whilst they discuss how psychological illness has affected their lives. 

‘Mental health’, particularly among young men, has been a hot topic post-COVID, but that doesn’t mean it’s getting any better, or that it’s resigned to the young.

It’s not surprising that in the midst of a cost of living, environmental, energy and just-about-everything-else-you-can-think-of crisis, that the people under the most societal pressure to figure it all out and provide for their families aren’t feeling crash hot between the ears.

Ultimately the goal Blake and Marcario set out to achieve with ‘In Pieces Together’ is to offer an entry point into a conversation for people who might not find that process an easy one.

In order to shift the needle, you first have to start the conversation and well, here we are — so that 40 hours must’ve counted for something. 

Talk to the blokes in your life, and don’t let them get away with a “yeah, nah, nah, pretty good/not bad/can’t complain, ay!”

In Pieces Together is streaming on Kayo, Binge and Foxtel now. Watch it with your mate, partner, son and check in with how they’re going; it’s not easy out there.