Discrete Images in Archaeology and the Future: Spatiotemporal Folds and Memory Construction in Asian Immigrant Cinema

Abstract

Asian immigrant cinema has emerged as a vital site for exploring the interplay between migration, cultural memory, and identity. While existing scholarship often addresses themes of belonging and heritage, it largely overlooks how specific narrative techniques, particularly spatiotemporal folds that disrupt linear time and reconfigure space, contribute to memory construction. This study addresses that gap by examining how temporal dislocation and spatial juxtaposition function as formal strategies for negotiating past and present in diasporic contexts. Through qualitative textual analysis and comparative case studies of two contemporary films, the research identifies recurring patterns in the use of non-linear timelines, cyclical structures, and liminal spaces. Findings reveal that spatiotemporal folds enable a dynamic integration of individual and collective memory, challenging binary distinctions between homeland and host society. Theoretically, this work advances film and memory studies by proposing a framework that links cinematic form to diasporic meaning-making. Practically, it offers filmmakers and cultural practitioners a nuanced understanding of how narrative structure can authentically convey the complexities of immigrant experience without resorting to linear historiography or cultural essentialism.