A process for inducing pre-tilt in alignment of a liquid crystal medium comprising exposing at least one optical alignment layer, comprising anisotropically absorbing molecules and hydrophobic moieties, to polarized light; the polarized light having a wavelength within the absorption band of said anisotropically absorbing molecules; wherein the exposed anisotropically absorbing molecules induce alignment of the liquid crystal medium at an angle + and - υ with respect to the direction of the polarization of the incident light beam and along the surface of the optical alignment layer, and induce a pre-tilt at an angle Ζ with respect to the surface of the optical alignment layer and applying a liquid crystal medium to said optical alignment layer, is described. The invention also is directed to liquid crystal display elements made by the process of the invention and to novel polyimide compositions that are useful as optical alignment layers in the invention.