Burns explores Roosevelt legacy in new documentary

WARM SPRINGS, Georgia – Filmmaker Ken Burns says he wants to tell the story of the Roosevelts, both strengths and flaws, in his upcoming documentary on one of America’s most famous political families.

Burns previewed parts of the 14-hour series Saturday during a Roosevelt family reunion on the grounds of the polio clinic purchased by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The film airs next year and explores the history of Roosevelt, his wife, Eleanor, and President Theodore Roosevelt.

Burns said the Roosevelt political legacy remains relevant now as U.S. leaders debate how big the federal government should be.

The Roosevelts featured in the film lived and governed during a time of enormous change in the U.S, including the country’s emergence as a world power, the Great Depression, World War II and the civil rights struggle.