Python passing object by reference through a socket

handover.py

#!/usr/bin/python3
# WARNING: This is a very nast hack into passing the pointer of an 
# object through a socket thus bypassing any copy. The garbage 
# collector can remove an object before its being received so you 
# should know what you are doing!

import threading
from PIL import Image, ImageDraw, ImageTk
import zmq
import time
import ctypes
import random

def zcreate_pipe(ctx, hwm=1000):
    backend = zmq.Socket(ctx, zmq.PAIR)
    frontend = zmq.Socket(ctx, zmq.PAIR)
    backend.set_hwm(hwm)
    frontend.set_hwm(hwm)
    # close immediately on shutdown
    backend.setsockopt(zmq.LINGER, 0)
    frontend.setsockopt(zmq.LINGER, 0)

    endpoint = "tcp://127.0.0.1:32323"
    #endpoint = "ipc://zactor-%04x-%04x\n"\
    #             %(random.randint(0, 0x10000), random.randint(0, 0x10000))
    while True:
        try:
            frontend.bind(endpoint)
        except:
            endpoint = "ipc://zactor-%04x-%04x\n"\
                 %(random.randint(0, 0x10000), random.randint(0, 0x10000))
        else:
            break
    backend.connect(endpoint)
    return (frontend, backend)

def create_img():
    global outs
    count = 0
    while count < 10:
        img = Image.new("RGB", (200,600), (15,15,15))
        print("Thread:", img, id(img))
        outs.send_unicode(str(id(img)))
        #del(img)   # uncomment this to see the effect of 
                    # the garbage collector intervening
        time.sleep(10)   


ins, outs = zcreate_pipe(zmq.Context())
thread = threading.Thread(target=create_img)
thread.start()
while True:
    msg = ins.recv()
    print("Main:", msg, int(msg))
    rimg = ctypes.cast(int(msg), ctypes.py_object).value
    print("Main:", rimg, id(rimg))
    rimg.save("/tmp/test.png", "PNG")