Diplomacy Via Oscar - NYTimes.com All season long, the Bagger's colleague Larry Rohter has been talking with foreign-language nominees. Though some didn't make it off the shortlist, all five of the finalists spoke with him about the challenges of getting their film made and about what a nomination means to them. You can read excerpts here. Meanwhile, Variety reports that consulates in Los Angeles are now part of the Oscar scene, holding parties, lunches and receptions to celebrate filmmakers and not incidentally spotlight their own home-grown film industries. Mexico, Canada and Germany are among the many countries taking part. There is one prominent exception: Iran, which submitted the double Oscar nominee "A Separation" and which does not have diplomatic ties with the United States.