2014
writer / director / producer: shereen lani younes | shereenlani.com
cinematographer / editor: ben cornelius | bcvid.com
For those curious about the title: "VANIR" is pronounced very similarly to the word "veneer." Vanir are a group of Norse gods associated with fertility and the future, among other things. The name is part of an old French word "esvanir," which means "to disappear" or "to vanish." This word influenced the coinage of the term "The Vanishing Twin Syndrome," also known as fetal reabsorption; this bizarre phenomenon happens when twins are forming in a mother’s womb and one twin dies, only to be reabsorbed by the other. The significance of this title in relation to my film is a connection I will leave you to ponder. The viewer ultimately has the power to assign meaning to the story based on his or her own interpretation of the film. I sincerely hope you enjoy VANIR, as I have thoroughly enjoyed the creatively fulfilling process of writing, producing, and directing it.