THE REAL DEAL

THE REAL DEAL, a documentary chronicling the evolution and impact of the homeless performance group Los Angeles Poverty Department (L.A.P.D.) and founder John Malpede. Shot in performance and on the streets John Malpede chronicles the evolution of the first theater group in the nation comprised primarily of the homeless— and the policies, national and local, that have created the enduring crisis of homelessness. Produced by the HALO Group, THE REAL DEAL was directed by Tom Jones and written by Jones and John Malpede.

“When they look back in 100 years, the only theater being done now which will matter will be the work John Malpede is doing with the L.A.P.D.”  — Peter Sellars, acclaimed theater director.

Twenty years ago, Malpede left the performance art scene in New York and landed on Skid Row, Los Angeles, working as an advocate for the homeless.  Over two decades, he has transformed what he calls a “hair brained idea”, a theater group comprised of the homeless, into a performance art phenomenon.

“living with Jim Beame, part 1”

“living with Jim Beame, part 2”

“The story of the film is nearly as long as the history of LAPD. It’s become a part of it. Tom plugged away at this with a determination that went beyond a desire to make a film. The REAL DEAL is an expression of Tom’s belief in LAPD and it’s mission to create community and speak for social justice. LAPD has been called, “an imperfect act of faith”. It only exists because the value placed in it by it’s members. You put Tom’s belief together with the beliefs of everyone involved, you’ve got one mighty stack of pancakes. You can’t get to The Real Deal by shortcut.” John Malpede, Director, LAPD

Screenings

  1. April 5 – 9, 2006 at The Beverly Hills Film Festival.
    THE REAL DEAL premiered on Saturday, April 8, 11:15 AM at the Clarity Theater and won the award for best producer at the Beverly Hills Film Festival
    – Quick time movie: www.halogroup.net/studio2.mov
    – CBS / Studio 2 interview by Laura Diaz with Tom Jones and John Malpede and Praz Michelle from ‘the Fugees’. (April 16, 2006)
  2. October 14 2006 at the Impact Festival at the Culture Project in New York.
    www.impactfestival.org/
  3. November 21, 2006 at Sauk Valley Community College Theater, Dixon, IL
    The event is being cosponsored by the college and the Phidian Art Club.
  4. June 27 – July 8, 2006 at the Ketelhuis movie theater in Amsterdam
    during the performances of ‘Sleepwalking Democracy’; a co-production of Los Angeles Poverty Department and Made in da Shade.
  5. Jan. 10, 2007 at Nieuwpoort Theater in Gent, Belgium
    as the kick-off for the project Legal * Illegal: a co production of Los Angeles Poverty Department, Nieuwpoort Theater and Unie der Zorgelozen.
  6. Thursday, April 19 2007: at the ALOUD series at the Public Library, down town LA
    Panel discussion with director John Malpede, producer Tom Jones and others.
  7. May 16 – May 26, 2007: Festival de Cannes, France, features the THE REAL DEAL at the Short Film Corner, located in the Palais des Festivals.
    Launched in 2004 by the Festival de Cannes, the Short Film Corner is a short film market and meeting place for all innovative and creative film makers as well as a space to showcase short films to potential buyers. Opened to all the professionals registered to the Festival de Cannes, the Short Film Corner presents films from all over the world, most previously unseen, as well as the films included in the Official Competition, the Cinéfondation, the Director’s Fortnight and Critic’s Week.  All the participating films, as well as the films in the Official selections, are digitized and permanently viewable on the Short Film Corner interactive screens for the duration of the festival.

Project History

THE REAL DEAL premiered at the 2006 Beverly Hills Film Festival where the jury presented the Best Producer award to Jones. The documentary then made its European debut in Amsterdam as part of the collaborative theater project RIGHTABOUTNOW.NU. The Impact Festival screening marked the New York premiere of THE REAL DEAL.

Jones uses a one man performance by Malpede, recorded at Highways Performance Space in Los Angeles (2003), as the basis for the film. Intertwined throughout Malpede’s multi-dimensional recounting of L.A.P.D.’s story are conversations with past L.A.P.D. participants, clips from 20 years of performances and in depth interviews with homeless activists, government officials and longtime supporters of the theater group, including acclaimed theater director Peter Sellars. By incorporating these elements with scenes from Skid Row in downtown Los Angeles and footage from the unprecedented 2005 hand count of the homeless in Los Angeles County, Jones creates a street level view of the dark, disturbing and frightening world of homelessness that underscores Malpede’s revelation of the “the real deal” at the conclusion of his show.THE REAL DEAL is the culmination of a sixteen year collaboration between Jones and Malpede. Assigned to produce a story on the L.A.P.D. for ABC in 1990, Jones was deeply impressed by Malpede and the mission of L.A.P.D. and approached him about producing a documentary. During the subsequent years while continuing to develop the documentary, they also worked together to create additional events to further the work of L.A.P.D. including a special production “Call Home” staged for the 1993 Los Angeles Festival.

“We are pleased and proud to be part of the Impact Festival,” commented Jones. “John began his work combining art with social advocacy in New York. In fact, the idea for THE REAL DEAL began over 30 years ago with a performance piece that was conceived and executed here, so it is gratifying to screen this film in the city where John’s incredible journey began. I have had the great advantage of spending many hours with John and members of the L.A.P.D. as they have responded to the changing needs of the homeless community. I hope this film illustrates how John’s early inspiration has evolved into an unwavering commitment to giving the homeless a voice and an artistic outlet.” “The story of the film is nearly as long as the history of LAPD. It’s become a part of it,” said Malpede. “Tom plugged away at this with a determination that went beyond a desire to make a film. The REAL DEAL is an expression of Tom’s belief in LAPD and its mission to create community and speak for social justice. LAPD has been called, “an imperfect act of faith”. It only exists because the value placed in it by its members. You put Tom’s belief together with the beliefs of everyone involved, you’ve got one mighty stack of pancakes. You can’t get to The Real Deal by shortcut.”

Los Angeles Poverty Department was founded in 1985 by director, actor, activist, and writer John Malpede. LAPD’s mission is to create performance work that connects lived experience to the social forces that shape the lives and communities of people living in poverty. LAPD was the first performance group in the nation made up principally of homeless people and is dedicated to building community on Skid Row, Los Angeles. Since its founding, the company has offered performance workshops that are free and open to the Skid Row community— partnering with numerous social service and advocacy groups. LAPD has also partnered with communities and arts organizations across the United States to create original works that speak to a range of political issues. Extended residencies have been held in Chicago, Philadelphia, Miami, San Francisco, Houston, and Minneapolis, among other cities and the L.A.P.D has staged performances in the Netherlands, Belgium and the United Kingdom.

Tom Jones has produced and directed for NBC, ABC, CBS, Paramount, Disney, multiple cable outlets and syndication. His documentary, “The Search for Amelia Earhart”, (NBC, Carolco) made national headlines when it uncovered a section of the aviatrix’s airplane in the South Pacific. Jones produced all the media for Ross Perot’s presidential campaigns, including the award winning long format programs for which the campaign is famous. He has done extensive work for museums, including “1968: The Year That Rocked the World” for the Newseum in Washington DC and “Reel Justice” for the American Museum of Law. He founded a not for profit organization with Dr. Michael Nobel which creates and distributes arts based educational programs to middle school children. His corporate clients include Countrywide Financial, Starbucks, AARP and Toyota.