Author: Ron Rambo Jr.

Roland Emmerich’s films (Godzilla, The Day After Tomorrow, 2012) always portray one thing: disaster.

There is a difference between watching a disaster film and bearing witness to an actual disaster. Sometimes, as in the case of Independence Day, the general chaos makes for a pretty memorable film. But more often than not in Emmerich’s work, the audience senses the impending, apocalyptic doom, not for the characters but for themselves.

“If you don’t love what you do, get out,” said Maggie Hodroj, arms crossed over a black outfit splotched with enough Mediterranean ingredients to indicate how much dedication a person needs to own and run a food cart. “It took me a while to realize that this was my place, but when I finally did, I realized that I’m not really doing any work at all—I’m doing what I love.”