Smart Ass 2014

In a world where social capital is currency, a prestigious business school in France becomes the unlikely backdrop for an audacious entrepreneurial experiment. The atmosphere is sleek and competitive, a place where future dealmakers sharpen their instincts amid elegant parties and sharp conversations. Here, the rules of the marketplace aren’t merely taught in lecture halls—they’re tested in every glance, introduction, and carefully curated encounter.

When the quiet and observant Kelia arrives on campus, she quickly crosses paths with Dan, a sharp-witted but socially overlooked second-year student who views nearly everything through the lens of profit and loss. Dan’s roommate Jaffar struggles to make an impression at the school’s exclusive soirées, providing the spark for an unconventional idea. Watching their social world with a coolly calculating eye, Dan spots an opportunity where others see only awkwardness. Their scheme to elevate Jaffar’s status catches the attention of Louis, a confident and charismatic fellow student from Versailles who recognizes the venture’s commercial potential. Together, the three begin to formalize their intuition into a structured business.

What emerges is a service built on the principles they’ve absorbed in class: the renting of attractive companions to amplify the social standing of paying clients at elite gatherings. Kelia recruits, Louis manages client relations, and Dan keeps the books—a clean division of labor that mirrors the polished pragmatism of their education. Their venture, Les amateurs de Cigares, operates at the intersection of commerce and charm, treating desirability as a commodity that can be measured, packaged, and sold.

Treated with a dry, satirical edge, the film observes how easily the language of business can seep into the most personal corners of youth. As the trio refines their formula and their reputation grows, the campus begins to feel like a living case study—where ambition, image, and the hunger for connection blur into something the founders themselves may not fully anticipate.