Ken Burns is dramatically changing direction with his monumental two-part PBS “Leonardo da Vinci” series: It is the first ever non-American subject he’s tackled.

Famed documentary filmmaker Ken Burns didn’t plan to pursue a film on Leonardo da Vinci, his first non-American subject. But he was drawn to the subject, thanks in part to the master painter’s similarities to Benjamin Franklin.

The celebrated documentarian co-directs this two-night extravaganza on PBS about the towering genius of the Renaissance.

MY SAY Ken Burns launched his own illustrious career 43 years ago with "Brooklyn Bridge," and until now, never left these shores, while picking over the bones of every major American historical event and cultural landmark he could find.