A Life Lived Like a Film
The true story of resilience, brotherhood, and legacy — told with the emotional depth of cinema.
Special Note for Storytellers & Producers
Shahen’s memoir aligns with creators who value grounded truth, emotional realism, and human resilience. If you’re drawn to character-driven narratives like those championed by Proximity Media or the filmmakers behind Searching and Run, you’ll find familiar heart in The Hawk: authentic, intimate storytelling rooted in lived experience.
The Story at A Glance
The Hawk reads with the momentum and emotional scope of a film. It follows Shahen, a boy growing up in 1940s and 1950s Queens, shaped by hardship, identity, and the quiet grief his family carried from surviving the Armenian Genocide before immigrating to the United States. As he enters adulthood, he forms a lifelong brotherhood that becomes the heart of his journey — a chosen family whose loyalty anchors him through the many chapters of life.
Grounded, human, and richly visual, this memoir unfolds like a feature film: vivid scenes, high emotional stakes, intimate character moments, and a powerful throughline of survival and hope.
Why this story Belongs On Screen
Shahen’s life unfolds through moments that lend themselves naturally to film:
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Shahen’s story unfolds across a wide range of cinematic backdrops — from his birthplace in Syria and memories of the Armenian countryside, to the tight-knit Armenian neighborhood where his family rebuilt their lives; the bustling streets of 1940s–50s Queens; the excitement of the 1950s World’s Fair; and the evolving rhythm of 1950s–60s New York.
It also moves through the everyday places that shaped his adulthood — the gas stations, auto shops, and mechanic garages where he worked, forged friendships, and built his life.
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identity, loss, loyalty, perseverance
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a man shaped equally by hardship and deep, lifelong friendship
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anyone searching for belonging or meaning will find themselves in this story
Survival
A childhood shaped by difficulty and a man’s lifelong choice to rise above his circumstances.
Core Themes
Brotherhood
A chosen family whose loyalty sustained him for decades — the emotional spine of the memoir.
Legacy
Honoring the past while shaping a future defined by resilience, compassion, and hope.
How It Could Translate to Screen
Shahen’s story adapts naturally into several formats:
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Weaving between past and present, following his childhood in Queens, his family’s inherited history, and the lifelong brotherhood that shaped him.
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A dramatic, character-driven story centered on resilience, identity, loyalty, and emotional endurance.
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Present-day interviews with Shahen intercut with dramatized scenes from his early life in Syria, the Armenian neighborhood, Queens, and the garages where his adulthood unfolded.
Book Trailer — Coming Soon
A visual introduction to the emotional world and lived history behind The Hawk.
(Cinematic trailer currently in production.)
Adaptation Rights
Shahen holds all rights to The Hawk and is open to conversations about film, limited series, or documentary adaptation.
For inquiries, interview requests, or additional materials: thehawkmemoir@gmail.com