The film centers around the United States Senate inquiry into the sinking of the RMS Titanic, from April 19 and May 25, first in the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York City, and then the Russell Senate Office Building in Washington, D.C.[1] The purpose of the hearings was to provide a platform for truth and justice to be served, as well as clarify the sequence of events.

The public demands someone to blame, in order to narrow down the causes of the disaster into a single denominator.

Smith seeks a comprehensive explanation and is not prepared to mince his words to reach a convenient solution.

The film's central point is the witness statements, made by J. Bruce Ismay, Charles Lightoller, Archibald Gracie IV, and others.

[citation needed] The film initially aired on March 20, 1984, on Nordwestdeutscher Rundfunk (NWDR).