Newmag presents a book based on one of the most famous films of independent Armenia, “Don’t Be Afraid” (trailer)
03/26/2026
Twenty years after the premiere of the film “Don’t Be Afraid,” Newmag has published the book of the same name. The author is Gnel Nalbandyan. The script for the film was written first, together with Levon Galstyan, and only later was the novel created.
The story unfolds in the early 1990s, reflecting the complex and contradictory realities of Yerevan and Artsakh. On one side stands the noble idea of the liberation struggle; on the other, the chaos of war and the pursuit of personal gain.
It is a story of a turbulent era, where heroes and anti-heroes often have real-life prototypes, and many episodes are grounded in documentary reality. In some parts of the novel, Gnel Nalbandyan recreates events he personally witnessed in different sections of the Armenian-Azerbaijani front line.
For the first time, the creative process followed an unusual path, not a film based on a book, but the reverse: first the film and its script, and then the novel. The book does not replicate the film. Some episodes exist only in the novel, while others remain exclusive to the screen.
“Don’t Be Afraid” is based on the five-part screenplay of the film of the same name. The co-authors of the script are Levon Galstyan and Gnel Nalbandyan. The film’s concept author Aleksan Harutyunyan and director Aram Shahbazyan also contributed to the creative process.
Republished two decades later, the novel invites readers to revisit the defining pages of recent history with the perspective of a direct participant.
Book partner: Kinodaran
General partner: HK Production
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Gnel Nalbandyan
5800 ֏
Description
Early 1990s: complex and contradictory realities of Yerevan and Artsakh. On one side is the noble idea of the liberation struggle, on the other - the chaos of war and personal gain. A story about complex and contradictory times, a story whose heroes and anti-heroes often have real prototypes, episodes - a documentary basis. In some episodes, the author reproduced the events that happened to him in different parts of the Armenian-Azerbaijani front line.
Contrary to the accepted norm, this literary work was born after the filming of the famous film of the same name. Some episodes presented in the book were not in the film, or some episodes of the film are not in the novel. It is built according to the script of the (5-part) film, the co-authors of which are Levon Galstyan and Gnel Nalbandyan. The screenwriters were actively supported by the author of the idea of the film "Don't Be Afraid" Alexan Harutyunyan and director Aram Shahbazyan.
The novel, which is being republished two decades later, invites us to relive the decisive pages of our recent past with a sober perspective and the feeling of a direct participant.
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