Ken Burns says new ‘National Parks’ film, airing in September, awakened childhood memory

Burns’ new PBS film reawakened childhood memory

PASADENA, Calif. — Ken Burns says working on a documentary about America’s national parks reawakened a long-forgotten memory about a painful time in his childhood.

Burns was filming in Yosemite for PBS’ “The National Parks: America’s Best Idea,” when he recalled a 1959 visit with his father to Shenandoah National Park in the Blue Ridge Mountains in Virginia. Burns, then 6 years old, said it was a difficult period for the family because of his mother’s fight against cancer.

Burns told the Television Critics Association on Saturday that the splendor of Yosemite allowed him to reclaim memories of the trip, including hiking with his dad in Shenandoah.

Burns’ films include “The Civil War” and “Baseball.” The six-part “National Parks” will premiere Sept. 27 on PBS.