This really happened? I thought it was just a movie..

Yes, MyStuff.... it really happened. There were two movies made. One is an older B&W. Don't recall the year it was made. The newer one is obviously the one you're more familiar with.

Asplund was an intensely private person who shunned all publicity surrounding the disaster, one of the worst peacetime maritime accidents. The funeral home spokesman said she instructed relatives to keep quiet about what she saw and even asked that the disaster not be mentioned in her obituary.

Man.

I wonder if she and others were compensated... not sure if there was 'Travel' insurance back then, or lawyers that would have chased this type of thing down..

At least two other survivors are living, but they were too young to
have memories of the disaster. Barbara Joyce West Dainton of Truro,
England, was 10 months old and Elizabeth Gladys "Millvina" Dean of
Southampton, England, was 2 months old.

Maybe they got paid too... time to google this story up and find out if they got paid anything..