Rohrwacher was born in Fiesole, in Tuscany, of an Italian mother and German father. She spent her youth in the city of Castel Giorgio, where her mother was born and her father Reinhard worked as a beekeeper. She is the sister of the Italian actress Alba Rohrwacher. She studied literature and philosophy at the University of Turin and then specialized in screenwriting at the Holden School in Turin.

Her first experience in filmmaking was in 2006, when directing a part of the Italian documentary Checosamanca.

In 2011 she directed her first feature film Heavenly Body, which premiered at the Directors' Fortnight during the 2011 Cannes Film Festival to critical acclaim.

Her second feature film, The Wonders, won the Grand Prix a the 2014 Cannes Film Festival.