Katia Greco : the Italian, the Sicilian actress, passionate about Tunisian cinema

It is an honor for culturetunisie.com to interview an actress of her aura. When a reviewer focuses on movies and plays she was in, he only wonders about one single question: how did she not start a career in the major American film industry?

Physically as well as in terms of the depth of her acting, she is nothing less than the great actresses of the 7th art and television worldwide.

This interview has been scheduled since October 2025, but things have evolved in such a way as to coincide with her latest news. I mean her sharing of the poster for Ghazi Zaghbani's latest film, "Featherweight," which will be screened at the 36th edition of the Carthage Film Festival (JCC) on December 18 at 7:00 PM at the 'Le Colisée' cinema in Tunis.

Throughout her career, which began in 2005 with theater, she has played roles both on television (more than 20 series) and in cinema industries (more than a dozen films).

She was also present in Ridha Béhi's Tunisian movie, "The Island of Forgiveness."

The beautiful, elegant, and talented Sicilian actress Katia Greco (2025). Photo credit: Riccardo Riande

The interview with her was as follows:

Who is Katia Greco?

Hello Mohamed Ali and everyone who reads this article; actually, my real name, chosen by my parents, is Caterina. Lately, I have reevaluated the beauty of this name. So I like being called this way. I was born on August 31, 1985, in Messina, Sicily. I currently live in Rome.

When and where did your encounter with dramatic art begin?

My meeting with drama began in Sicily during my high school years, in the film workshops organized by the school toward the end of the 90s. That's where my passion for acting began, but in the meantime, I also studied biology at university, as the field of art is not always secure, and success in this world of art is not always guaranteed.

How do the cinema, television, and theater industries develop in Italy?

For the moment, the artistic situation in Italy is not very positive. Indeed, cultural policies are moving toward austerity in terms of funding for creative and drama making.

In this context, the trend in the last two decades in my country has been to cut many funds allocated to theatrical and movie productions. This budget reduction has led to a decrease in artistic projects to work on.

Despite this long and difficult period, there are many artists and talents who still have the courage to carry out high-quality independent projects that express current Italian society and identity.

How did you describe your participation in Algeria recently, at the Annaba Film Festival in particular?

The Annaba festival, which took place between September 24 and 30, 2025, was a wonderful experience for me. I thank the artistic director Mohamed Allal, who invited me along with my artistic friend Donatella Finocchiaro to present our film "L'Amore che ho," directed by Paolo Licata and in which our lead actress Lucia Sardo won the award for best actress, which makes me doubly glad about this experience.

How do you generally find cinema and theater in the Maghreb?

I love the Maghreb; I am very fascinated by it, and often this land calls to me, whether for work or holidays. I truly feel that I have a special connection with North Africa.

Through the festivals, I also came into contact with their cinematic and theatrical reality and background. I must say that I think there is a lot of creativity and willingness to give a voice to many themes and subjects.

Therefore, I particularly feel a deep passion for artistic expression in this part of the world. My heart remains particularly tied to Tunisia; I love Tunisian artists and projects, and I hope to be able to return to your country very soon to work as an actress with directors that I really enjoy working with.

Who are the directors who have had the most impact on you, and why?

In Italy, the director I admired working with is Paolo Licata. I shot three movies with his direction, two of which deal with violence against women.

The last one I just finished filming is a psychological thriller. I like his vision, his writing, and the message he conveys to the public through his works.

But there is also another part of me that is linked to Tunisia; a part of my heart is really there.

I shot, in this case, the first Tunisian film with Ridha Béhi in Djerba, "The Island of Forgiveness" (2022), in which I had the honor of having the wonderful Claudia Cardinale as my on-screen mother, who, unfortunately, left us now on September 23, 2025.

I recently (2024) shot another beautiful film with a director I really enjoyed working with: Ghazi Zaghbani. The film is called "Featherweight"; it's a story that mixes the Tunisian world and the Italian world.

Ghazi touched me a lot because he is an extraordinary director, screenwriter, and theater player, with the particularity of having made films based on a play of his.

Ghazi, I particularly respect his ability to use art as a social and political denunciation through his works so rich in creativity, energy, and rhythm.

Regarding the theatrical world, I loved working with Paolo Mannina in his work titled "Accamóra," which we presented at the Carthage Theater Festival (JTC) in 2024.

I must say that it was an incredible experience. Paolo Mannina is a director and also a theater comedian, whom I met during the filming of Ghazi Zaghbani's feature film. In it, he played my father.

I would like to remind you, in this regard, that "Featherweight" by Ghazi Zaghbani, in which I play a main role alongside him, in the roles of Mariana and Kamel, respectively, will be screened tomorrow at the JCC on December 18, 2025.

I therefore invite all Tunisians to go see it at "Le Colisée" hall in Tunis. In mid-January, there will also be the official screening announcing the release of this film in several Tunisian theaters, which I will personally attend, especially at the premiere.

I will thus be happy to see a large Tunisian audience with whom to share opinions about this movie at the end of the show.

Last question: Do you speak Arabic, and would you ever be tempted to act in Arabic?

I am very fascinated by the Arabic language. I would like to study it and speak it one day. I barely know a few words of it at the moment.

Ghazi Zaghbani motion picture was shot between Naples and Tunis. In addition to acting in Italian with a Neapolitan accent, I also spoke a few words in Arabic. I was very moved and amused at the same time.

We laughed a lot on set when pronouncing some words in Tunisian dialect in this fiction, because it's not in my habits.

Katia Greco's words

Interview conducted by Mohamed Ali Elhaou

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