Tinka Kurti ( Thani; born 17 December 1932) is an Albanian actress. Her body of work, spanning 60 years, includes more than 50 feature movies and 150 theatre plays has been awarded her with the

People's Artist of Albania The People's Artist () was an honorary title for outstanding art performers of the People's Socialist Republic of Albania, whose merits were exceptional in the sphere of development of the performing arts (theatre, music, cinema and art). It was c ...

medal.

Biography

Tinka was born in

Sarajevo Sarajevo ( ; cyrl, Сарајево, ; ''see names in other languages'') is the capital and largest city of Bosnia and Herzegovina, with a population of 275,524 in its administrative limits. The Sarajevo metropolitan area including Sarajevo ...

Bosnia and Herzegovina Bosnia and Herzegovina ( sh, / , ), abbreviated BiH () or B&H, sometimes called Bosnia–Herzegovina and often known informally as Bosnia, is a country at the crossroads of south and southeast Europe, located in the Balkans. Bosnia and H ...

(then part of

Yugoslavia Yugoslavia (; sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Jugoslavija, Југославија ; sl, Jugoslavija ; mk, Југославија ;; rup, Iugoslavia; hu, Jugoszlávia; rue, label=Pannonian Rusyn, Югославия, translit=Juhoslavija ...

) to an Albanian father and Hungarian mother. She was the oldest of four children. At a young age her family returned to the city of Shkodra in northern part of

Albania Albania ( ; sq, Shqipëri or ), or , also or . officially the Republic of Albania ( sq, Republika e Shqipërisë), is a country in Southeastern Europe. It is located on the Adriatic and Ionian Seas within the Mediterranean Sea and shares ...

. It is in Shkodra where she would spend most of her life and join the theatre at a young age. In 1947 she was expelled from the Liceu Artistik (School of Arts) in

Tirana Tirana ( , ; aln, Tirona) is the capital and largest city of Albania. It is located in the centre of the country, enclosed by mountains and hills with Dajti rising to the east and a slight valley to the northwest overlooking the Adriatic Sea ...

and was never able to graduate. However, this did not stop her from pursuing her acting career. She made her first theatre appearance at the age of 16, a minor role, in the play Dasma Shkodrane (Wedding from Shkodra.) From 1949 she became a member of the Theatre

Migjeni Millosh Gjergj Nikolla (; 13 October 191126 August 1938), commonly known by the acronym pen name Migjeni, was an Albanian poet and writer, considered one of the most important of the 20th century. After his death, he was recognized as one of th ...

in Shkodra where she was part of over 120 plays (dramas and comedies). Such plays include "Gjaku i Arbrit", "Histori Irkutase", "Toka Jonë", "Fisheku në pajë" and "Fejesa e Çehovit". Kurti did not limit herself only to theatre and decided to try film too. In 1958, she was chosen as the leading female role in the first Albanian feature film "

Tana Tana may refer to: Places Africa * Lake Tana, a lake in Ethiopia (and a source of the Nile River) * Tana Qirqos, an island in the eastern part of Lake Tana in Ethiopia, near the mouth of the Gumara River * Tana River County, a county of Coast P ...

". What followed was an endless series of film roles that would rightfully make her name a treasure of Albanian art. Some include Mother Pashako in "Yjet e netëve të gjata", the Mother in ''Çifti i lumtur'', Sinjorina Mançini in ''Vajzat me kordele të kuqe'', the Grandmother in ''Zemra e Nënës''. Two cinemas in

and Durres are named after her. The same is the school of

Lekbibaj Lekbibaj is a village and a former municipality Tropojë northern Albania. At the 2015 local government reform it became a subdivision of the municipality Tropojë. The population at the 2011 census was 1,207. It is the historical center of the Nik ...

(a village of Albania). In 2003, the Albanian director, Esat Teliti, made a bibliographical documentary as a tribute to her life. It was simply named "Tinka". Kurti continues her acting career. She once said: "I don't fear the old age, not even death. But, I do fear the senility of the brain, and when that moment will come, I think I would be dead twice. That's why I want to work."

Personal life

Tinka was married with Palok Kurti in 1951 until his death in 1997. They had a son named Zef Kurti who died in March 6, 2018 at 65 from a

heart attack A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow decreases or stops to the coronary artery of the heart, causing damage to the heart muscle. The most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort which ma ...

. After her son's death in January 2022, she published her biographical book called "Diary of a husband"

Filmography

Sofia Film 2022 *

Bota Bota ( Jawi: بوتا; ) is a mukim in Perak Tengah District, Perak, Malaysia. It comprises two geographical areas: Bota Kiri and Bota Kanan (Left Bota and Right Bota, respectively) as it is divided by the Perak River. There is a river terra ...

– 2014
Ne Kerkim te Kujt
– 2012
Gjalle!
(Alive!) – 2009
Familjet
(Families) – 2009
Ne dhe Lenini
(Lenin and Us) – 2009
Mira
– 2008/II
Etjet e Kosoves
(Kosova: Desperate Search) – 2006
Nata
(The night) – 1998
Zemra e Nënës
(Mother's heart) – 1995
Në emër të lirisë
(In the name of freedom) – 1987
Hije që mbeten pas
(Shadows left behind) -1985 *

Besa e kuqe ''Besa e kuqe'' (The red pledge) is a 1982 Albanian film. It was directed by Pirro Milkani with music by Zef Çoba. Cast * Roza Anagnosti * Ilirjan Fatkoja * Xhevdet Ferri * Astrit Hasani * Elez Kadrija *Tinka Kurti * Eduard Makri *Ro ...

(Red faith) – 1982 * Qortimet e vjeshtës (Autumn's reproach) – 1982
Si gjithë të tjerët
(Like all the others) -1981
Mengjeze te reja
(New mornings) – 1980
Nusja
(The bride) – 1980
Gjeneral gramafoni
(The general gramophone) – 1978
Vajzat me kordele të kuqe
(Girls with red ribbons) – 1978
Emblema e dikurshme
– 1976
Çifti i lumtur
(The happy couple) – 1975
Lumë drite
(River of light) – 1975
Operacion Zjarri
(Fire operation) – 1973
Yjet e netëve të gjata
– (Stars of long nights) – 1972
Guximtarët
(The brave) – 1970 *

(Tana) – 1958

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kurti, Tinka 1932 births Living people 20th-century Albanian actresses 21st-century Albanian actresses Albanian actresses Albanian film actresses Albanian stage actresses People from Shkodër People's Artists of Albania