Cinematic monochrome banner image of a Queens street or cityscape symbolizing the emotional tone of Shahen’s story.

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.

Black-and-white portrait of young Shahen Guiragossian beside a cinematic story summary.

Why this story Belongs On Screen

Shahen’s life unfolds through moments that lend themselves naturally to film:

  • 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.

  • identity, loss, loyalty, perseverance

  • a man shaped equally by hardship and deep, lifelong friendship

  • anyone searching for belonging or meaning will find themselves in this story

Historic black-and-white photograph documenting an Armenian community during the Armenian Genocide period.
Vintage photograph of the 1950s World’s Fair showing the Unisphere and surrounding fountains.
Black-and-white photo of a historic Syrian town with traditional buildings and narrow streets.
Vintage image of an Armenian priest shown from the neck down, wearing traditional robes and holding a Bible.
1950s-era photograph of a gas station and auto repair shop.
Vintage black-and-white photo of sharply dressed 1950s men leaning against a classic car on a city street.

Core Themes

Survival

A childhood shaped by difficulty and a man’s lifelong choice to rise above his circumstances.

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:

  • Weaving between past and present, following his childhood in Queens, his family’s inherited history, and the lifelong brotherhood that shaped him.

  • A dramatic, character-driven story centered on resilience, identity, loyalty, and emotional endurance.

  • 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.

Vintage image of a classic car parked inside a garage with sunlight streaming through the window.

Book Trailer

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