Volunteering at film house Rialto

27 October 2025

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“The atmosphere here is open; it is”Cozy, like in a living room.” Driss (39) does cashier duty every two weeks at the Rialto movie theater. He starts the evening “at the door” for ticket control, and then continues at the cash register. “Mid-evening, we have dinner with the fellow volunteers in the café, which is very cozy. And, a nice bonus: I also get to watch unlimited movies for free.”Rialto Cinema shows artistic films with a strong focus on non-Western cinema. “I loveArthouse,” says Driss, “films that provoke thought. Not Hollywood films where everything turns out fine, but films that say something about reality. A film about a city on the other side of the world – that’s the one I would like to see.” During the day, Driss works full-time as a tax consultant at the company.ZF, a supplier of car parts. “My job is challenging; volunteering at Rialto is an outlet for me, a welcome escape from the daily grind. I can share my experiences with film with other volunteers.” When asked, Driss provides advice to visitors. “Many people who come to Rialto enjoysparrenover films.”

The Belier Family

As diverse as his interest in the world is, so much movement is present in Driss’s life. “I recognize myself in the movie ‘The Family Aries.’ Here the daughter of deaf parents must choose whether to stay in her parents’ village or lead her own life in Paris. “I grew up in Roosendaal, the only one in my family to leave.”
First to Tilburg where he did the School of Journalism, then to Amsterdam for the political science study.

Run, fly, learn

Since that time, Driss has been doing volunteer work. “During my time at university, I set up homework guidance with some guys. At the time, we thought: ‘It’s not a big deal.’ But the children we tutored have fortunately turned out well. I now have three children of my own. I help out at my oldest son’s hockey club, and I am currently coaching a women’s basketball team.” It’s a busy life for Driss and his wife, who is a lawyer. “But thankfully, our au pair helps out a lot. I want to teach my children in the future: Seek your happiness, explore the wide world to discover and share things. Make good use of it, don’t do pointless things.”

Why?

Driss is sometimes asked by his international colleagues at work why he does volunteer work. It is not common in all countries. “I try to explain that it is satisfying. Without volunteer work, many things in society would not function,” says Driss. “Rialto would not be able to exist – they run entirely on volunteers, a total of 120. And without Rialto’s film offerings, the image of society would flatten.”

You might meet Driss when visiting Rialto. He will greet you cheerfully because “you do it with pleasure, or not.”Photos: Sake Rijpkema
Interview: Angélique Derks