Marrakech-based director duo Yazid Bezaz and Ismail Guluev (NB2WN) had one mission: translate the Complex MENA brand pillars into a visual story that pulses with the region’s creative energy. Set in Kachi Bayar, a military housing area built in the 1950s, NB2WN’s short film explores the passing of creative torches between generations through a simple yet striking narrative: a young artist spray-painting a wall, met not with resistance but collaboration from legendary Moroccan artist Hassan Hajjaj.
The film deliberately avoids Morocco’s expected visual clichés; no tea pouring, no deserts, no obvious exoticism. Instead, Bezaz and Guluev showcase a Marrakech that feels ambiguous, contemporary, and deeply personal. Shot in warm-toned blocks that maybe won’t exist in another decade, and scored with new-wave Moroccan trap sampling traditional Chaabi vocals, the project represents a generation carving out its own iconography while honoring what came before.
The result is a visual conversation about respect, mentorship, and the subtle details that define cultural identity in modern Morocco.
Complex MENA: When you set out to translate the Complex MENA pillars into the city, what parts of Marrakech felt instinctive to lean into, and what feeling are you hoping to inspire?
Yazid Bezaz: I think the choice we made in the environment we shot was based on a few factors. Something we’ve always tried to push for is doing what we do in Morocco, being Moroccan, but in a way that feels universal. Something that represents a lot of our generation here is the fact that the way we shoot Morocco can be quite ambiguous. It feels like it could be anywhere, whether it’s the temperature, the look of the film, the locations we choose, the cast, or the diversity [of the people].
With this film, we wanted to showcase something that felt a bit less obvious, a Marrakech that we know, and also a Marrakech that originally looked like this but will no longer exist. I think that’s part of our responsibility and something we love: to try and capture and document spaces that might no longer exist in five to ten years.
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The area we shot in is called Kachi Bayar, a military housing area. I personally live in this area, and we’ve always loved this location. It’s so beautiful, having a block that exists in between two worlds — this Marrakech warm color, but in a military housing complex that was built in the ‘50s. We felt like it just matched the idea. At the same time, when you have an idea that’s this simple, it’s very important that the details are all aligned. We’re not really going, “Oh, this is Morocco.” That’s not the goal with the launch film. It was more about, if you know, you know.
Having a character like Hassan Hajjaj, who is a big pillar in the art world and has opened so many doors for all of us, was very important. It kind of showed the relationship between two generations — Hassan’s generation and the younger person.
Ismail Guluev: I’m really interested in not showing Marrakech or Morocco in a way that’s expected. When you type Marrakech or Morocco, you get a photo of someone pouring tea or a desert. The things you expect. Those are all beautiful things; they’re definitely part of the place. But I think we’re interested in showing the reality, our reality, almost like everyday life or real people that aren’t necessarily part of what the outside world sees.
Complex MENA: When you were coming up with the concept for the film, what pillars from Complex MENA did you feel most drawn to? And how did they start showing up once you were on the ground in Marrakech?
YB: I think some of the very important pillars were elements of culture, elements of the art world, the urban element of Morocco, and Complex MENA. We wanted to showcase the similarities between different generations, but also that first interaction, which could be a younger person automatically thinking that an older person just wants to get rid of them or something. But in reality, that older person is like, “No, this is actually good, it’s just not finished.”
This was the main part: to give this understanding between these two generations, where a younger generation is trying to be creative and automatically thinks when seeing an older person come in, they think, “Oh no, they’re going to try and get rid of me or shout at me for what I’m doing.” But instead, helping him finish it was the main thing. It wasn’t about the graffiti of Complex MENA, but the relationship and the interaction between the two generations.
I think with the time we had, it was very important that we developed something that was simple, striking, and got the message across. We tried to introduce elements like the music, which is more of a new wave Moroccan trap sound. The sample is a Chaabi vocal sample, but you can’t hear that directly. It’s done in a way where it’s very important for us — our language, our identity visually…it’s all in the subtleties. That represents a newer voice or iconography that we’re trying to develop in Morocco, not just us, but our generation. It’s not the biggest obvious thing of the iconography that has already been set for years in Morocco. We’re trying to experiment and see what kind of new things we can find in order to develop that all together as a community.
Complex MENA: Going back to that comment about being subtle, Hassan Hajjaj wasn’t the main star of the film in the beginning. He came later down the line, spray-painted the ‘A,’ and drove the van off. What did his presence unlock conceptually for the film? And how does he fit within your idea of Marrakech?
YB: I’ve known Hassan my whole life, literally since I was a baby. When I entered the creative field, he was always the person I could go to. I call him the Godfather. Where Hassan inspires us is not only as the amazing artist he is, but as a human. I personally learn from how he works with people, how he takes on different projects, his approach, his organization, and how he divides all these different parts of his world.
The representation of who Hassan is in our film is really that person passing the torch. For me, he’s one of the only people who has been a reference or an example of an artist coming from Morocco to the world. And also someone who is so in touch with everything that’s happening today.
IG: From someone coming from outside of Marrakech and Morocco, I’ve known Hassan Hajjaj from the outside world, from an outside perspective, for a while. I’ve admired his work for a while, and eventually coming here and making this video and having him in it kind of contextualizes that point where it’s passing the torch to the new generation of creatives. But it’s done with warmth and almost with presence. Both sides are involved.
Complex MENA: What excites you most about Complex launching in the region?
YB: What excites me the most is a platform that brings together all the elements of what we always love and what we try to do ourselves, whether it be fashion, sports, food, film, or music. All these things are such important pillars of what we try to do. Being able to see the launch of Complex MENA with representation of this region means there’s a space that can continue to keep pushing the amazing projects coming out of this whole region, whether it’s the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, Jordan. There are so many amazing creatives across all these areas. To be able to have that link is really something beautiful because it means it’s already understood—both parties already understand each other’s area of Complex. That, for me, is really special.
IG: It’s like bringing the spotlight to the area and to the creatives, and making this, hopefully, the main stage where people look for trends and inspiration.
NB2WN (pronounced in between) is a filmmaking duo based in Marrakech. Created by Yazid Bezaz and Ismail Guluev, it is a creative project focused on producing short films, ad campaigns, and music videos all with a narrative, world-building angle.
Combining their cultural backgrounds and joining forces as a producer and a film editor, they hope to create some of the more refined and intentional projects here in Marrakech and worldwide.
Read more about the other Side Quests in Cairo and Riyadh.
An Editor at Complex MENA.
