Gold Gerry describes herself as a storyteller at heart, fuelled by a deep passion to explore the world. But more than exploration, she is intentional about what she documents. At the centre of her work is a commitment to culturally rooted African stories, the kind that carry history and identity without apology.
Her path to filmmaking was not a straight line. She built careers across writing, songwriting, and content marketing, each shaping how she understands narrative. More than five years in, her credits include Melon House Production’s short film Boo’d Up (2024), Ikblot Production’s Superstar (2024) and Charge and Bail (2024), alongside TV commercial work for Bigi Drinks, First Bank, and Baba Ijebu.
Now she is stepping into her most ambitious project yet. Adanne, Melon House Production’s debut feature, is expected to arrive in August 2026. In this conversation, Gerry talks about writing it, producing it, and what it means to tell a story about women, tradition, and inheritance with honesty.
Inspiration and Unpacking “Adanne”
“The inspiration for Adanne came from thinking about the quiet dynamics that shape many women’s lives, particularly within family structures,” Gerry says. She has long been interested in how upbringing, tradition, and expectation influence the way women understand themselves and their relationships with others. The mother-daughter bond, she says, is a complex one, where love, protection, control, and inherited belief can exist all at once.
While the story itself is fictional, the emotional core is personal. “It draws from observations and experiences that many women recognise but don’t always talk about openly. I wanted to explore how certain patterns can be passed down through generations, often unintentionally, and how that shapes the way women navigate identity, power, and autonomy.”
At its heart, Adanne is about the moment when someone begins to question the roles they have inherited. “The film explores how silence, tradition, and generational dynamics shape the choices people make,” Gerry says. “It’s about looking at family, womanhood, and tradition with honesty, while still holding space for empathy and understanding.”
Igbo culture is the specific world the story inhabits, and Gerry was deliberate about that framing. “Igbo culture is rich, layered, and deeply rooted in tradition, and with that comes complex family dynamics that influence how people relate to authority, gender, and community.” She is clear that Adanne is not a critique of that culture. It is an examination of the human experiences within it, including the love, the pressure, the loyalty, and the moments when individuals begin to question the roles they have inherited. She hopes the film sparks conversation while also celebrating the depth of Igbo storytelling traditions.
Building Melon House Production and the Storytelling Journey
Before founding Melon House Production, storytelling had already been a constant in Gerry’s life. She started writing stories in high school and spent years reading novels that shaped how she thinks about narrative and character. “One book that stayed with me is The Concubine by Elechi Amadi,” she recalls. Amadi’s exploration of tradition, spirituality, and human relationships left a lasting impression.
Over time, her storytelling moved across different creative forms. She worked as a writer’s assistant with Netflix, gaining insight into how stories are developed within the industry. Songwriting taught her about emotion and rhythm, and how to communicate complex feelings concisely. Content marketing taught her how to craft narratives that connected with audiences while communicating ideas clearly.
“At my core, I’ve always been a storyteller,” she says. “Founding Melon House Production was really about creating a home for those stories to live on screen.”
Kicking off with Adanne was not accidental. Gerry says it felt like the most honest and appropriate story to begin the company’s journey. “From the very beginning, the vision behind Melon House has been to create films that are rooted in African cultures while still speaking to universal human experiences.” Adanne, she says, sets the tone for the kinds of stories the company wants to tell: ones that honour culture while also examining the complexities within it.
Authenticity in Spotlighting African Stories and Culture
Authenticity, for Gerry, is not a box to tick. It is a responsibility. “For a long time, African cultures have often been simplified or misrepresented in global media, and so there is a real responsibility that comes with telling such stories, especially when they are rooted in specific communities.”
With Adanne, that responsibility started at the script level. The characters, their relationships, and the family dynamics were written to feel truthful to the Igbo cultural environment in which they exist. Language, customs, and the emotional realities of family life were all considered carefully.
Beyond the script, authenticity was carried into the visual and cultural world of the film by the art department, led by Oma Dairy, the costume department under Elvis Uwagbenebi, and makeup and hair handled by AraBeauty World. Their early involvement, Gerry says, grounded the film visually in the world it is set in and elevated the emotional truth of the project.
Writing “Adanne”: Creative Process and Challenges
The biggest challenge in writing Adanne was balancing honesty with sensitivity. Gerry wanted every scene to reflect the emotional reality of the characters without reducing them to conflict or drama. That meant confronting parts of herself in some of the characters, which was not easy.
“I needed to walk away and take breaks to process and reflect. Those pauses allowed me to come back to the story with clarity and ensure each moment felt authentic.” She drew heavily on observation, conversation, and lived experience, particularly around the relationships between mothers and daughters, and how tradition shapes those bonds.
There was also the practical challenge of managing personal balance. Gerry was working a nine-to-five job while writing a feature film script. “It required discipline, focus, and moments of creative patience. Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter album was in my ear throughout the year while I wrote, helping me stay inspired and connected to the purest version of the story I wanted to tell.”
Casting, Production, and Creative Decisions in “Adanne”
Casting Adanne involved different approaches tailored to the needs of each role. For the lead, the team reached out directly to actors like Onyinye Odokoro of Baby Farm, whose work they had followed and trusted to deliver the depth the character required. A public casting call opened the process to fresh talent who could bring new energy to the story.
“We created a character bible for each role, detailing motivations, backstory, and personality traits,” Gerry says. Chemistry reads were central to the process. Actors were swapped and tested until the team found the right people. The costume, makeup, and art design departments were brought in early, with their contributions supporting the actors both emotionally and culturally. “Casting in Adanne wasn’t just about talent. It was about finding actors who could truly live in the story.”
Wearing both hats as writer and producer presented its own challenges. As a writer, Gerry had a clear sense of the emotions, relationships, and cultural nuances that needed to come through. As a producer, she had to translate that vision into something achievable within time, budget, and logistical constraints.
“The key was collaboration and constant communication. Every department, from cinematography, lighting, and sound to costume, makeup, and art design, was deeply invested in telling the story. Hats off to my team: everyone was on their A-game, and we simply couldn’t have achieved this without them.”
One significant production decision was the shooting location. Although Adanne is set within an Igbo cultural context, it was shot in Ibadan rather than the eastern part of Nigeria. “As an independent production company, the logistics and safety considerations made shooting in the east difficult to manage within our resources,” Gerry explains. Ibadan offered locations that could convincingly replicate the feel of an eastern Nigerian setting while making financial sense. “Ultimately, Ibadan wasn’t just a practical solution. It became a collaborator in shaping the cultural authenticity of Adanne, helping us tell a story that feels both visually and emotionally true.”
Collaboration with Director Orobosa Ikponmwen
“Plainly put, it was easy,” Gerry says of working with director Orobosa Ikponmwen. She describes Ikponmwen as warm-hearted and grounded, qualities she considers essential for strong creative collaboration. “When I first reached out to her to direct the film, I remember her getting excited just from reading the premise of Adanne, and that gave me a lot of confidence that she truly connected with the story.”
Ikponmwen’s contribution spanned the full process, from pre-production through rewrites to shaping the film’s visual tone. “She helped expand the world of the story in ways I hadn’t initially imagined, especially through the unique perspective she brings as a mother. That added another layer of emotional depth to the characters and their relationships.”
They also faced challenges on set that bonded them in ways that extended beyond the project. Watching Ikponmwen navigate difficult moments and move quickly to find solutions left an impression on Gerry. “Now that we’re in post-production, I honestly can’t think of anyone I trust more to handle this project with the level of care and intention it deserves.”
The Future of Melon House Production
If there is one thing Melon House Production takes seriously, it is preserving and spotlighting culturally rooted stories. This is both a vision and a commitment. In the next five years, Gerry sees the company becoming a recognisable home for African stories that are authentic and accessible to global audiences.
“I hope Melon House will have made a meaningful impact in preserving and spotlighting African culture, not just by showing traditions on screen, but by telling stories with honesty, depth, and respect.” That includes highlighting underrepresented voices and creating opportunities for emerging talent across every department, from writers and actors to designers and crew.
“Ultimately, I want Melon House to be known as a space where African stories are nurtured, celebrated, and shared widely. A production company that honours the richness of our cultures while telling stories that resonate universally.”
Her advice to young filmmakers building their own platforms is simple: start. “You don’t need to wait for permission to begin creating and telling stories that matter to you.” Build a community, she adds, because collaborators, supporters, and fellow creatives are often the ones who help ideas come to life. And be bold enough to ask for what you need. “Filmmaking is a journey that requires courage, persistence, and a willingness to keep showing up for your ideas.”