With striking visions of an otherworldly ecosystem, Land of Metal tells the story of a unique environment: New Caledonia's mineral maquis, rich in heavy metals and home to over 2,500 endemic plant species. A mystery to science and an obsession for prospectors seeking nickel, chrome, copper, and cobalt, this ecosystem is both extraordinary and fragile.

The film unfolds as the dramatic epic of a miraculous habitat whose remarkable traits have also led to its downfall, facing destruction in just a century of colonization and exploitation.