Bright young soldier Mertsi suffers a permanent brain injury in the Second World War. In the late 1940s he wanders around the Finnish countryside looking for simple work and relying on other people's help. A workmate, Ville, tells him about his clever Spitz dog back home and the problems with her overlong dew claws. Together with his helpful war buddy Eetvi, Mertsi joins a lumber camp in the middle of a freezing winter, tries hard but finds the work there too strenuous for his body and mind. While he still sees nightmares about the war, in the daytime he keeps dreaming and worrying about the dog...
Peter Franzén
as Mertsi Arhippa Vepsäläinen
Taisto Reimaluoto
as Eetvi Manninen
Ahti Kuoppala
as Ville Kuosmanen
Ville Virtanen
as Foreman Luti
Risto Salmi
as Horseman Turpeinen
Timo Lavikainen
as epämukava Leinonen
Leo Lastumäki
as Kämppäukko
Simo Tamminen
as Lääkäri
Vieno Saaristo
as Taimi Kuosmanen
Hannu Virolainen
as Asemamies
Riitta Piironen
as Opettajatar
Seppo Timonen
as Humu
