His life and dramatic resistance to the more powerful enemy became the basis for several artistic works. Juozas Grušas wrote a historical drama "Herkus Mantas", portraying him as a romantic hero. The Lithuanian language movie "Northern Crusades", directed by Marijonas Giedrys, with music by Giedrius Kuprevičius, was released in 1972. It became one of the best-received Lithuanian movies during the Soviet period (1945–90), because Lithuanians under the Soviet occupation could easily identify themselves with the Prussians under the Teutonic Knights. After Lithuania regained independence, Giedrius Kuprevičius returned to Grušas's drama play about Herkus Mantus, this time writing an opera based on it and calling it "The Prussians". It premiered at Klaipėda Music Theater in 1995 with Nerijus Petrokas as director and Stasys Domarkas as a conductor.