The authors have demonstrated a technique for rodlike liquid crystal alignment using polyimide films with chiral carbons in the side chains. The authors succeeded in lifting degeneracy of two twisted configurations in the 90 degrees twisted-nematic cells, even though the pretilt angle in the cell with rubbed polyimide (PI) surfaces is low (Theta <= 1 degrees). This phenomenon is due to chirality of molecular level on the PI surfaces, which is transferred to the bulk and acts as a kind of symmetry breaking powers. (c) 2007 American Institute of Physics.