Carl Fredrik von Gertten was born in 1956 in Malmö. Gertten worked as a journalist for newspapers, radio and television in Africa, Latin America, Asia and Europe during the 1980s and 1990s. In 1995 he published the travel book Ung man söker världen (Young man looking for the World) through the publisher Gong Gong förlag. He wrote for the newspaper Arbetet from 1990 until it ceased publication in 2000 and for Kvällsposten in 2001-2003. In 1994 Fredrik founded the production company WG Film. Today he combines filmmaking with a role as a creative producer on WG Film - famous for local stories with a global understanding, with several films catching the identity and transformation of his hometown.