Taiwan in the year 2000, only thirteen years after the lifting of Marshall Law rule and still an unruly place referred to by many as the “Wild, Wild East,” provides a perfect setting for The Taiwan Oyster. Masquerading as a bender road-­‐movie, the darkly  comic film explores deep existentialist questions as the protagonists journey deeper and deeper into the Taiwanese countryside. Darin and Simon’s quest for the perfect burial spot becomes a strange trip down Taiwan’s picturesque East Coast Highway as they encounter the unique cultures of Taiwan, welcoming families, violent gangsters, and Nikita, another lost soul who joins their odyssey. Along the way, they explore the Southeast Asian ex-­patriot experience, their own personal demons, and the universal questions that arise when one is confronted  with an untimely death.