Friedemann Hottenbacher was born in Japan, where he spent the majority of his childhood. After graduating from German School in Tokyo he passed through a one year musical education. In 1989 he moved to Berlin to study social science. During his studies he began working as a director and producer for the German bureau of the Tokyo Broadcasting System. As a freelance filmmaker, Hottenbacher has written and directed award-winning TV documentaries for both German and international broadcasters including ZDF, ARD, NHK, arte, kika and 3sat. In 2009 he joined the Berlin based production company inselfilm as a writer, producer and CEO. Since then he has been involved in the development and the production of numerous international feature documentaries.