You could make a strong case that Germany had the strongest national cinema of the first half of the 20th century. It dominated silent film with its German Expressionism, it was a pioneer in social dramas, and it changed sci-fi. About half of the great Hollywood films were directed by German emigres. You can even argue that the country revolutionised propaganda too, thanks to Leni Riefenstahl.

Of course, the momentum came to a sudden halt with the war. German cinema took decades to be rebuilt enough for the New German Cinema movement led by directors like Wim Wenders and Werner Herzog, which sought to create films that represented a more realistic portrayal of German society and started to approach German history and culture with a critical lens. Since then, the industry has been very healthy; its domestic market remains strong, and every year there is at least one major German film in the festivals, although you could argue none of these directors since the 70s has really managed to chain multiple great films together and establish themselves as a major international auteur.