Archive drive of the unprivileged against the privileged: Ten years and alternative archive

Abstract

The post-Umbrella Hong Kong is a site where the unprivileged memories are faced with a systematic eradication against the privileged and dominant memories of mainland China. A strong ‘archive drive’ exists in the scene which makes the memories of Hong Kong struggle to preserve themselves in defense to their obliteration. For memories to become archived, or an archive, they should go through two consecutive steps. First, they need to acquire a physical space where they can be preserved. Second, they need to be given a law, order, or way of interpretation and enunciation. While the privileged memories unquestioningly undergo the process, those of the unprivileged confront difficulties in both steps. By looking into the post-Umbrella Hong Kong’s omnibus film Ten Years, this essay will examine the archival struggle of Hong Kong memories where they show emotional anxiety and frustration, but also seek for an alternative way to become an actual archive.