Idea Publishing

This year marks the 95th anniversary of the truly remarkable and spectacularly legendary Renaissance man, Tonino Guerra. Tonino Guerra may very well be the greatest screenwriter of all time. Having written well over 100 screenplays, his extensive list of credits on IMBD is ultimate proof that his career was nothing short of prolific. His collaborations with many of the greatest names in cinema history, is further evidence of his gigantic professional stature. Additionally, the countless honourable mentions, awards, and accolades, is but one final tell-tale sign demonstrating just how fantastically large a role Tonino Guerra occupied in the hearts and minds of movie lovers.

In celebration of Tonino Guerra’s illustrious career, we are genuinely ecstatic to reveal to you the never before seen masterpiece, ‘Pictorial Photo’, co-written with film director and screenwriter Ian Shine. The elating thought of seeing a finished yet previously unpublished screenplay from the greatest screenwriter of all time — is further amplified by the fact that ‘Pictorial Photo’ is presented to you in not just one, but four (4) unique variations!

The Italian, French, Russian, and English variations — differ in far more ways than the nuances of language alone. In fact, each version marks a different stage in the creative process. The initial sketches were written down in Italian. These rough and largely unedited initial sketches have survived to this day, and we are pleased to be publishing them for the first time. Akin to pencil sketches made by master painters, these initial sketches mark a stage in the evolution of the work, beautiful in their own unequalled way. Perhaps what is even more profound, is that they offer a unique view into the minds of the men who created them.

Shortly after the Italian sketches were written, Russian was adopted as the primary language for the remainder of the project due to investor sentiment at the time. Thus, the final and by far the most refined screenplay ended up being the Russian version which is featured within this book edition.

The English version is the newest addition to the collection, having been only recently adapted from its’ Russian parent. Some minor differences do exist between the Russian and English versions — nonetheless, they offer a very similar experience.

Finally, the French variation is also a translation, but is substantially dissimilar to the up-to-date English and Russian versions. Sometime during the final editing process, and in order to attract investors, a decision was made to translate the screenplay from Russian into French. A little later however, numerous components within the Russian master copy were changed, added, or removed. The French variation is therefore inherently different to any of the other versions contained within this edition.

Thus after well over a decade, the screenplay ‘Pictorial Photo’ is here — and in not just one, but four glorious variations! We sincerely wish that you enjoy reading the screenplays, at least as much as we enjoyed publishing them!

Тревожный дух (Anxious Spirit)

Собрание прозы «Тревожный дух» бредущий странник, свидетель обрушений и строительств. Его послания насыщены магической образностью и философским содержанием, им покровительствует остережение Карла Ясперса: «Теряя в кризисе мир, человеку надлежит, исходя из имеющихся у него предпосылок, вновь создать свой мир из первоначала», — рассмотреть «идущую ему навстречу идею».

Сила убеждения «Тревожного духа» определяется качеством излучения главной смысловой точки. Как только искание обретает духовное направление, стремление получить результат отмирает само собой. Здоровье в том, чтобы «незадолго перед закатом приходить к озеру думать о душевной надобности». Даже не здоровье, а смысл. Может быть, главный смысл.

Ian Shine’s ‘Anxious Spirit’, is a collection of prose that unravels the very essence of the human condition, as it bears witness to collapse, destruction, construction, and renewal. The use of magical imagery and sublime philosophy elevates the already rich tapestry of meaning to profound proportions. Simultaneously, ‘Anxious Spirit’ pays homage to Karl Jasper’s sentiment — in that a person in crisis, and upon the destruction of their prior world that they knew so well, ignites an inner drive to create their very own paradigm. This person inevitably experiences a thirst for ideas, a willingness to seek them out, and the fortitude to take on responsibility for their selection.

‘Anxious Spirit’s’ persuasive power radiates from its main argument. As soon as spiritual growth becomes the ultimate quest, worldly wants and desires begin to die off on their own. A true picture of health necessarily must include a desire — "to come to the lake shortly before sunset to think about ones’ spiritual needs”. Not for the sake of health, but for the sake of meaning. Perhaps meaning is all there is. And, perhaps it is meaning that is most vital to our survival.

‘God does not want to be lonely’, by Ian Shine

Бог не хочет быть одиноким (God does not want to be lonely)

Австралийский писатель, кинорежиссер, сценарист Ян Шайн родился в советской России, там же, началась его творческая деятельность. После отъезда из СССР Шайн принимал участие в работе над различными проектами в содружестве с выдающимися мастерами театра и кино.

Чтение романов Яна Шайна — посещение синема читальни. Герои его произведений, неизменно полны магнетического обаяния, подчас отрицательного, их характеры многогранны, мысли парадоксальны, а повороты судеб не устают удивлять непредсказуемостью. Просмотр диковинной ленты с элементами исповедальной мелодрамы, психологического триллера, притчи, исторической саги и, наконец, детской сказки, рекомендован широкому кругу киноманов и любителей мистификаций.

Ian Shine is a Soviet born Australian film director, screenwriter, and author. Having spent much of his time working on various projects abroad, he has had the pleasure of collaborating with a magnificent range of standard setting industry specialists, as well as the plethora of brilliantly talented creative minds, to whom Ian seems magnetically drawn.

Historical saga, psychological thriller, melodrama, and parable. Ian Shine’s novels are mostly dedicated to cinema lovers, who will undoubtedly relish each moment in his rich and vivid world. His characters are complex, multifaceted, and at times paradoxical. Their strange and unpredictable twists of fate never cease to surprise the reader until the very end.

New e-book edition, as Ian Shine preps for a flood of never before seen releases

Ian Shine, the Soviet born Australian author, screenwriter, and feature film director, is perhaps only weeks away from several notable and never before seen releases. In the meantime, we are graced (pun intended) with a world first e-book edition of his 2010 work. Written in Ian Shine’s native Russian, ‘Бог не хочет быть одиноким’ which roughly translates to “God does not want to be lonely”, was originally published only in print. The new e-book edition could not have come at a better time as an ever increasing number of readers are choosing to download books to their electronic devices.

In a recent interview, Ian remarked that he felt enlivened by the amount of readers who despite belonging to a younger generation, are nonetheless interested in world class literature. When asked about his opinion on the decline of paper and the rise of e-books, he said, “I’m old fashioned. I enjoy the visceral sensation of pages between my fingers, the nostalgic smell of ink on paper, and the comfort in seeing the binding of an old book as it stands the test of time. But as long as people are still reading quality literature, then I really can’t see anything wrong with how they choose to do so.”

Equally as exciting is the prospect of Ian’s never before seen solo and collaborative works.  His latest book ‘Тревожный дух’, which roughly translates to “Anxious Spirit”, is only weeks away from publication. Additionally, a number of collaborative projects with his friend and mentor, the late Tonino Guerra, a creative and cultural giant of the 20th century, are similarly not too far away from being released for the very first time.

After years of research, Australian philosopher and writer Leo White has finally released his eagerly anticipated book, ‘A Parental Certificate System’. The proposed system may one day change the way our entire human species approaches the paradigm that is human procreation and parenting. The first major hurdle will be to see if White’s findings and recommendations succeed in building a consensus amongst policy makers and the public alike.

As ambitious as White’s overall vision for the future may be, he is nonetheless methodical in his approach towards immensely tough global challenges, such as overpopulation, human rights, parental planning, vaccination, corporal punishment, infant mortality, global migration patterns, and indigenous rights, to name but a few of the topics covered as part of the proposed parental certificate system. However, and as White points out, we can be certain of one fact – a solution to these problems is desperately and urgently needed.

White often describes his work as that of an engineer, or an architect: “I can’t even begin to tell you how many drafts I went through. But the way I look at it is that peoples’ lives may depend on the quality of my work. For example, people who design bridges don’t get a second chance to make them safe, do they”. When asked whether he had any plans to personally lobby for the system, White answered with another metaphor: “My job was to design the bridge, to make it safe and sturdy for people to cross. If my designs are well received, then it will be someone else’s job to build that bridge, and paint it any color they see fit ”.

You may be wondering how much of this book is relevant to an international audience. According to White, our planet is presented with global challenges that require globally applicable solutions. From a strategic perspective, being as inclusive as possible is far from overly ambitious or exceedingly optimistic. Rather, inclusiveness is a genuinely prudent, long-term, and sustainable way of thinking.

There was a time in human history when issues such as human population, access to resources, education, and health; were only ever dealt with by ones’ immediate community. Nowadays, and according to the United Nations Millennium Project, these same issues are now part of the ’15 Global Challenges’ that are considered to be pertinent to our entire species. Clearly, discussing human procreative culture, as well as the culture within which future generations of humanity are raised – should equally be considered as a truly global concern.