Media-Music-Stage

Regina Udalor: African Storytelling Is Worldwide

Regina Udalor: African Storytelling Is Worldwide

Photo courtesy of Regina Udalor


“Storytelling is inborn in us.”

Regina Udalor is a Nigerian filmmaker and mother living in Oslo, Norway. She uses her creativity as a filmmaker to share nuanced narratives of Africans with the world. Her production The Lost Café (now available to watch on SoulVision.TV) is a coming-of-age story about a young Nigerian woman who pursues her dreams as a filmmaker abroad in Norway. The screenplay was based on a short script Regina wrote. It is hard not to see how The Lost Café is influenced by Regina’s own journey in gaining the acceptance of her parents to study film. Regina believes storytelling is inherent in her culture. “Storytelling is inborn in us, it is like the saying goes, ‘When an African hears a drumbeat it is natural for him to move.’ We are born with rhythm. The same is true with storytelling—we have a unique way of telling stories.”

Regina archives her people’s history, folklore, and art forms through film. “Being able to put my motherly instincts into film has been very rewarding,” she says. “Therefore, I strive to make every project and production fulfilling, especially when the finished work is on the big screen.” She is currently working on two projects—her second feature film and a makeup reality show. Her second feature film is about the origins of Nigeria. “I am particularly looking forward to making this film because it has become very important for our generation to know more about our roots and history,” she says. The second season of her makeup reality show will showcase the Nigerian beauty industry. She will use the show as a way to give entrepreneurs and emerging talent a chance to be a part of the industry. Regina is excited about growth and more funding for her productions. “The beauty industry is the ‘in’ thing in Nigeria/Africa right now and I feel we made the right decision to create a show like this.”


Regina Udalor on the set of the Urbanfaceshow. Photo by Monday Ogar.


As she looks for co-production opportunities with her “brothers and sisters” in the African diaspora, Regina focuses on the global impact she can have. “Imagine the kind of stories that will be created,” she says. “Global collaborations will create change in the film industry worldwide.”

To learn more about Regina Udalor, follow her on Instagram and Twitter.