London-based director William Williamson’s The Silent Conversation speaks volumes about the state of the individual in a country often characterised by its long history of violence and turmoil. It is interesting, then, that this short documentary’s focus lies not in the outspoken voices of the people Williamson met on his ten day opus through Lahore, but on a much more subtle form of expression. The clothing we wear plays a large role in the formation of collective cultural and personal identity – the uniform of the Lahore police force worn by a woman for the first time sends as strong a message as any political manifesto. As a country marked by the fallout of empire, Pakistan has faced many challenges on its road to define itself.

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