‘Perkele’ is a finely tuned comedy about Finnish men. All the three episodes of the film take place in the countryside of wintry Finland. It’s a place filled with snow and silent people trying to endure the winter. Three men of a small village face surprises and setbacks in their every day life, heading home after a stressful week. They may not say much, but they are not without a sense of humour. And momentarily even their deeper emotions break free through the thick emotional ice layer they are wearing. The film is also about ‘perkele’, both the word and the attitude (see ), and about the diverse situations where perkele’s positive energy is needed - and ever so often used - to carry out a mentally or physically demanding task. And when the struggle against oneself or against the forces of nature turns out to be a victory “perkele” helps one to put everything in perspective… so to speak. ‘Perkele’ was originally the name of the god of thunder from the pre-christian era. Though the deity is no longer worshipped, the name itself still lives in the Finnish language as a powerful swearword, mostly used in situations that require authority or overcoming oneself.