Tinka Kurti

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 medal.

Biography Tinka was born in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina (then part of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia) 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. 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 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 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". 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 Tirana and Durrës are named after her. The same is the school of Lekbibaj (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 on March 6, 2018, at the age of 65 from a heart attack in Canada.

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

On April 5, 2025, it was made known that Tinka Kurti resides in a nursing home in Tirana.

Filmography Sophia – 2022 Bota – 2014 Në kërkim të kujt – 2012 Alive – 2009 Familjet (Families) – 2009 Ne dhe Lenini (Lenin and Us) – 2009 Mira – 2008/II Etjet e Kosovës (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 (Red faith) – 1982 Qortimet e vjeshtës (Autumn's reproach) – 1982 Si gjithë të tjerët (Like all the others) -1981 Mëngjeze të 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 (Tana) – 1958