According to the Utica OD, “A Utica resident is a key figure in an Oscar-nominated documentary about civilian protest in one of the world’s most repressive nations. In September 2007, U Gawsita led fellow monks and tens of thousands of Burmese residents through Rangoon in Myanmar (formerly Burma), in opposition to the country’s longstanding military regime.”

The protest was captured on film and that footage was eventually used in the documentary Burma VJ, which has been nominated for an Academy Award.

You can read the full story here. The Oscars air on ABC March 7.