By Angie Sullivan
Local filmmaker Giacomo Moncada is bringing the story of Paralympic rower Victoria Nolan to the big screen with the documentary Blindly Victorious (working title). The movie is expected to be released later this year.
Moncada lives in Keswick and chose to use parts of Lake Simcoe as well as The Beach Lakefront Bar & Grill and The Ramada at Jacksons Point for location sets. He said, “They were incredible to deal with and we had a great deal of fun shooting there.”
“After meeting Eamonn and Victoria Nolan, I knew immediately this was a story I had to tell. Blindly Victorious grew out of that fascination nearly four years ago,” said Giacomo. “At first glance, this is a film about rowing. But very quickly, it revealed itself as a film about trust and faith — trust in instinct, trust in rhythm, trust in family and teammates, and trust in oneself when the usual markers of control are stripped away. I kept thinking about Victoria as a young mother of two navigating blindness while continuing to live fully and fiercely. I also thought deeply about Eamonn — and what it truly means to be a loving, present, and unwavering husband.”
Victoria Nolan was born with retinitis pigmentosa, a degenerative eye condition that has left her legally blind. Despite this, Nolan has built an extraordinary athletic career. She is a three-time Paralympian, representing Canada in para rowing at the 2008 Beijing, 2012 London, and 2016 Rio Paralympic Games. She was a part of the mixed coxed four that captured bronze in Rio.
She is also a mother of two, has a master’s in education, taught Grade 2, has written several books and worked as a television host for AMI This Week.
“This film is important to me because it shows a version of disability that is rarely seen on screen—one that includes ambition, love, leadership, and complexity. It’s not about overcoming blindness; it’s about living a full life with it,” said Nolan.
Her husband Eamonn Nolan said, “For me, this film is about partnership. It shows the reality of building a life together—based on trust, respect, and shared resilience—rather than focusing on disability as a limitation.”
The film stars Watson Rose (The Way Home) as Victoria Nolan, Jake Epstein (Degrassi: The Next Generation) plays the role of Eamonn Nolan, and Tony Nappo (Ginny & Georgia) is Coach Marino. Blindly Victorious was co-written by Giacomo Moncada, and Tony DiPasquale.
Moncada expects the film to premiere on the international film festival circuit before moving to theatres and eventually streaming services.
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