Sabali is a dramatic film with touches of absurdist comedy, and features surrealist dream sequences and a colourful art design. The story is centered on Jeannette, who has a severe heart condition that keeps her trapped in a suburb of Montreal. After receiving her new heart, Jeannette begins to have strange visions of her donor's former life. Soon after, she is befriended by her donor's son, a Malian teenager, who believes she is his mother reincarnated. The story itself is based on the scientific concept of cellular memory, the idea that cells contain memories, and that organ recipients sometimes take on the personality traits of their donors.