While Dallas Cowboys fans long for the heydays of the 90s, one local filmmaker looked at a troubling side of being champions. The documentary 'Chaos on Commerce' explored racial tensions that spilled over into Downtown Dallas during the Super Bowl parade of 1993.
The city of Dallas was riding a wave of excitement. However, many would like to forget what happened at the parade when celebration dissolved into unrest.
Dallas-based, Oak Cliff-raised filmmaker Don Thomas II, also known as ‘Don Tortellini,’ explains why he chose to lean into those events in his documentary 'Chaos on Commerce.' He debuted the film at his Alma mater, the University of North Texas on Thursday night.
“The reason why I chose this is because of how layered the story is and how layered the experience was in Dallas, and I think it came from an angle that not a lot of people choose to travel down," Thomas said.
Get top local stories in DFW delivered to you every morning. Sign up for NBC DFW's News Headlines newsletter.
The film, which highlights several archived clips from NBC 5, explores the tension that built up among young people long before the days of social media. Thomas used the NBC 5 archives which are now housed at the University of North Texas Libraries' Special Collections.
The breach of peace seen on the ground that day, motivated by race in many cases, exploded into violence when some 400,000 people converged on the city.
“I try to convey the history of systemic racism and the history of racial tension between different races and how that trickled into a day February 9th, 1993,” said Thomas.
Local
The latest news from around North Texas.
At the time, Dallas ISD officials guessed at least a third of its students skipped class to attend the parade. What happened on Commerce Street changed how the championship parade was done in 1994, and again in 1996.
'Chaos on Commerce' sets up the events of 1993 by reflecting on decades of social and racial dynamics that appeared to come to the surface at one pivotal event.
Thomas, a Dallas Cowboys fan himself, would like to see the team on top again with a much different outcome in the events that follow. He said the film, however, should be viewed through an artistic and historic lens. He hinted that 'Chaos on Commerce' could be a prelude to more work to come.
"It’s something that a lot of people had no idea even happened,” he said. “I believe now, moving forward, we’ve definitely made progress. But I think in order to move forward, we definitely have to look back and see how far we’ve come.”
This excerpt from Thomas briefly explains his motivation behind the film:
"'Chaos on Commerce' is a deep dive into the February 9, 1993, celebration that marked the Dallas Cowboys’ Super Bowl victory parade. This event, remembered for its overwhelming crowds and chaotic scenes, was more than just a sports celebration; it was a moment that captured the spirit and frenzy of the city at the time. The documentary explores the underlying meaning behind that day, weaving together the series of historical and cultural events that led up to it. What sets this project apart is its composition: it is crafted entirely from archival footage with no modern-day interviews. I wanted viewers to experience firsthand what it was like to be there in 1993, placing them in the heart of the event and letting them witness the ripple effects that followed."
For more on the artist, his work, and upcoming screening events, visit Thomas' Instagram handle @shyaboutmyart
