Niklas Vollmer, "Reading the Water"

While viewing Vollmer's "Reading the Water," I found there were many instances of layering - Niklas' father's lectures, text (sentences), his son's voice, his own voice, video shots of his father and son, and photographs. I sometimes wonder whether his father was aware of Niklas' intentions for his film. When he watched the finished film, was his father surprised? Sometimes Niklas would direct his father as to where he should go and when to say what he had to say (the behind-the-scenes footage). However, he seemed almost oblivious to Niklas sometimes, caught up in his lectures. Is Niklas providing us insight into his own childhood - his desire for some attention from his father? Is this the adult Niklas wanting the attention? His son seemed rather aware of the sentences that were meant for him and which ones were meant for Niklas for his father. Sometimes Vollmer would provide parallels from himself via photographs from his childhood and then show his son in a similar position on the beach. Vollmer seems to have an awareness to his son and his needs, and is he comparing his own relationship with his father to his relationship to his son? I found that some of the sentences flashed across the scene when his father was lecturing and his son was talking quite compelling. Sentences such as, "are you okay, daddy?" made me think of my own relationship with my father. I am reminded of Annette Kuhn stating that her photographs are photographs of families in general, for they are not individual, although they began from an individual. So, can we relate this to Vollmer's film? Although this is his film, created by Vollmer, is this also a film for children and their fathers? Where does Vollmer see himself in this video? Would he consider this an autobiography or is it autobiographical?