#254 Macario “KID MAC” de Souza — Bra Boys, Mental Health & the Story Behind In Pieces Together - Good Humans with Cooper Chapman | Lyssna här

⚠️ Content Warning

This episode contains open discussions about suicide, mental health and loss. Please take care of yourself first. If you're not in the right headspace, come back to this one when you're ready. There is no rush.

If you need support, call Lifeline on 13 11 14 (available 24/7) or visit lifeline.org.au

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This week I sat down with Macario De Souza, known to most as Kid Mac, and this one really got me.

Macario grew up in Maroubra, one of Australia's most iconic and tight-knit surf communities, and from a young age he was finding his way through a world that wasn't always easy. He opens up about the challenges he faced towards the end of his school life and how surfing and storytelling became his way through.

Most people know Macario from Bra Boys, the landmark Australian surf documentary that put Maroubra on the map and introduced him to working alongside Russell Crowe. That film changed the trajectory of his life and sparked a career built on telling stories that matter.

We also get into Fighting Fear, his deeply personal documentary that saw him confront his own mental health challenges head on. It's a film that took real courage to make, and Macario speaks about that journey with total honesty.

But the heart of this conversation is his new film, In Pieces Together. The film tells the story of Blake Johnston's world record surf — and the story running alongside it about Blake's dad, his battle with mental health, and his death by suicide. It is one of the most important surf films ever made, and talking with Macario about why he felt compelled to tell this story was something I won't forget in a hurry.

This one is for anyone who has ever lost someone, loved someone who is struggling, or believes that storytelling has the power to change lives.

In this episode we cover: