John Block's Documentary THE STAND-IN to Premiere on THIRTEEN, 6/19

Shot over a period of years, The Stand-in is A Haunting tale of two men from opposite sides of the globe - an "under the radar" Filipino health care attendant and an American television producer - who in a surprising way, find their lives linked and, ultimately, help each other reclaim their families. The Stand-in, airs Wednesday, June 19 at 10 p.m. on THIRTEEN; Tuesday, June 25 at 10 p.m. on NJTV; and Sunday, June 30 at 10 p.m. on WLIW21.

The Stand-in chronicles filmmaker John Block's family as they struggle to cope with his father's diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease. As Art's dementia worsens, the family members debate on how best to care for him, ultimately deciding to hire a live-in caretaker.

Eddie, an undocumented worker, came to the United States to provide for his wife and two children in the Philippines. Planning to stay only two years, Eddie finds himself still working in the U.S. eight years later, sending what he makes back to his family and village. Caring for Art, Eddie become an intregral part of the Block's daily lives, helping mend the strained relationship between John and his ailing father. All the while, he struggles to maintain the relationship between his own family, communicating with them only via the internet. As the bond between Eddie and the Block family grows, John is compelled to learn more about the life of his father's caretaker and the strain that caring for his father is taking on Eddie's own family. John embarks on a visit to the Philippines to meet Eddie's wife, children, and friends and to see firsthand the effects Eddie has on his village from the United States.

The film is, at its core, a love story, exploring the dynamics between fathers and their children: the filmmaker and his father; Art and his caretaker Eddie who is there for him in ways his own son cannot be; and Eddie and his children who have been apart from each other for such a long time. Unusually intimate in its telling, The Stand-in address multiple themes: family, loyalty and sacrifice, Alzheimer's, elder care, and illegal immigration.

John Block is an Emmy award-winning television and magazine producer/writer who, for more than a quarter century, worked for NBC News, which he left to pursue documentary filmmaking. A former Guggenheim Fellowship recipient, Block also produced Different is The New Normal which aired on THIRTEEN in 2011 and revealed an acutely personal first-hand account of Tourette's through the eyes of teenager Ariel Small.

The Stand-in is a Skytop Production in association with Small Boys Productions. The Stand-in is produced, written and directed by John Block.

Funding for The Stand-inis provided by David and Robin Small.

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