IMPERIAL BEACH, Calif. (KGTV) - The daughter of PGA star Phil Mickelson will make her acting debut in a movie partially shot in San Diego.
Sophia Mickelson has a featured role in Ruta Madre, a coming of age story about a singer who discovers his family and roots on a road trip through Baja.
According to the movie's website, Ruta Madre deals with issues of self-identity in a bi-national region.
"It reflects the feeling of many Latinos, especially Mexicans, who have emigrated or were born here, but who have not they feel neither from here nor from there,” director and screenwriter Agustín Castañeda said in a 2016 interview.
Mickelson plays "Daisy," the lead character's childhood crush. She says the story has meaning for people on both sides of the border.
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"One of the messages that stood out a lot to me is the importance of family," says Mickelson. "Having strong roots in the SD community as well made me want to revisit those kind of family connections and place more value on it."
Mickelson's family is well known in San Diego. Her father, Phil, has won 44 events on the PGA tour, including 5 major championships. He's arguably, San Diego's favorite golfer.
Sophia hopes the city will embrace her film career the same with people here have rallied around her father. But she says her parents have done a great job of supporting her dreams while not putting any pressure on her.
"I think they're very supportive of me having my own path and not having to do anything in line with what they've done," she says. Sophia also told 10News she hopes to go behind the camera for her career and work as a director.
She's not the only young star of the movie with San Diego ties.
Jordi Bertran, who plays a young version of Daniel, is from San Diego as well. He's known around town for roles he's had on stage at the Old Globe.
"This film feels like a San Diego film," he says. "The story is ultimately about finding your roots. That's really important now because a lot of times it's easy to forget where we come from."
For more information about Ruta Madre, including how to watch it in San Diego, click here.
