Directed and written by Frédéric Quiring, known for films like Sales Gosses and La Très Très Grande Classe, Doux Jésus is a French comedy that hit theaters on April 9, 2025. Led by Marilou Berry and Isabelle Nanty, alongside Barbara Bolotner, the film will be broadcast on Canal+ on Friday, February 27, 2026 at 9:09 PM, during prime time. It was also made available for purchase on VOD starting August 9, 2025, and for rental beginning August 29, 2025.
Sister Lucie is a dedicated nun who has been living in the convent for twenty years. When a certain event stirs up her past, she is compelled to make a bold decision: leave her community to reconnect with her first love, Sébastien. Adrift in a world she hasn't been part of for twenty years, she embarks on a journey filled with new encounters and misunderstandings.
Designed as both an inward journey and a confrontation with the present, this quest tests her faith. Amid temptations, surprises, and discoveries, the road becomes a laboratory of freedom: Lucie strives to reconcile her inner drive to move forward with the rules that have shaped her life so far, without abandoning what she has become.
With Doux Jésus, Frédéric Quiring aims to reinvent the road movie by turning it into a popular comedy, drawing inspiration from classics like Stand by Me, Little Miss Sunshine, Thelma & Louise, and Forrest Gump (according to production notes). The project’s origins also stem from a different creative universe: the director explains that he reignited his writing process while recalling Sister Act, with its offbeat take on a group of nuns, all the while aiming for a tone that’s more like a “fairy tale” or “fable.”
This storytelling element is woven into the structure: the Mother Superior, played by Isabelle Nanty, functions as the narrative voice. Quiring, who began writing the project in 2019, developed the film over time, meticulously preparing each scene well in advance to give the actors greater improvisational freedom during filming. The director also paid close attention to the visual aspects, aiming for a palette dominated by blues and recurring skies—visual motifs that link the characters to the theme of God (source: film team).
The predominantly female cast features Marilou Berry and Isabelle Nanty, a duo that has previously collaborated on both film and television (Les Reines du ring, Munch). Marc Ruchmann plays Sébastien, the romantic figure driving Lucie’s escape. Joining them are Barbara Bolotner and Hervé Lassïnce — familiar faces from the Quiring universe — completing a cast designed to feel like a true ensemble. Part of the filming took place in the Grand Est region, notably in the Vosges, with the director appreciating the chance to work outside of Paris and to spend quality time with his team.
Based on the idea of a “clash of worlds,” Doux Jésus appeals to fans of French comedies built around character contrasts and coming-of-age scenarios. The film leverages a slapstick style of humor, all the while subtly exploring themes of empowerment and the ways in which personal journeys can be reshaped outside conventional boundaries.
Doux Jésus
Film | 2025
Releases in theaters on April 9, 2025
Broadcast on Canal+: Friday, February 27, 2026, at 9:09 PM
Comedy | Duration: 1h26
Directed by Frédéric Quiring | Starring Marilou Berry, Isabelle Nanty, Barbara Bolotner
Original title: Doux Jésus
Country: France
Blending elements of a fable, road movie, and character comedy, Doux Jésus offers a portrait of a woman stepping out of her safe space to face the outside world and find the words to tell her story. Its airing on Canal+ reaffirms this film’s place among recent French comedies that explore travel and encounters as key driving forces of the narrative.
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